MAK  € 
MOST  OF 


O'SHEAanJKELLOCC 

HEALTH  SERIES 

rf 
PHYSIOLOGYarf  HYGIENE 


THE   HEALTH    SERIES 

OF 

PHYSIOLOGY  AND   HYGIENE 


MAKING    THE    MOST    OF    LIFE 


THE    HEALTH    SERIES 

OF 

PHYSIOLOGY  AND    HYGIENE 


HEALTH   HABITS 
HEALTH   AND    CLEANLINESS 

THE    BODY   IN   HEALTH 
MAKING   THE    MOST    OF   LIFE 


THE   HEALTH   SERIES 

'• .  ,'ofr'-; ':  v  , 

PHYSIOLOGY  AND; 'VG 


MAKING    THE    MOST 
OF    LIFE 


BY 


M.    V.    O'SHEA 

PROFESSOR   OF   EDUCATION,    UNIVERSITY   OF   WISCONSIN 
AUTHOR   OF    "DYNAMIC   FACTORS   IN    EDUCATION,"    ETC. 

AND 


J.    H.    KELLOGG 


SUPERINTENDENT  OF  THE  BATTLE  CREEK  SANITARIUM 
AUTHOR  OF  "MAN,  THE  MASTERPIECE,"  ETC. 


gorfe 
THE    MACMILLAN    COMPANY 

1921 

All  rights  reserved 


BIOLOGY 

LIBRARY 

G 


COPYRIGHT,  1915, 
BY  THE   MACMILLAN   COMPANY. 


Set  up  and  electrotyped.     Published  February,  1915. 


R.  R.  DONNELLEY  &  SONS  COMPANY 
CHICAGO 


INTRODUCTION 

IT  is  the  aim  in  "  The  Health  Series  of  Physiology  and 
Hygiene  "  to  present  in  an  attractive  form  for  pupils  in  the 
elementary  school  the  latest  and  most  accurate  knowledge 
relating  to  physiology,  and  especially  to  the  hygiene  of 
daily  life.  The  constant  effort  of  the  authors  has  been  to 
make  scientific  knowledge  so  simple,  so  concrete,  and  so 
captivating  that  pupils  can  hardly  fail  to  take  an  interest 
in  the  problems  of  preserving  health  for  the  purpose  of 
making  the  most  of  life. 

Throughout  the  series,  the  aim  has  been  kept  in  view 
of  awakening  in  the  young  a  normal  desire  to  live  in 
such  a  manner  as  to  develop  strength  and  preserve  health, 
because  in  this  way  the  individual  will  have  the  greatest 
success  in  securing  the  things  which  he  desires,  and  in 
avoiding  the  disabilities  and  pains  which  otherwise  are 
likely  to  occupy  a  considerable  part  of  his  life.  Compara- 
tively little  attention  is  given  to  anatomy,  and  only  suffi- 
cient physiology  is  presented  to  constitute  a  basis  for  the 
facts  of  health  which  are  discussed. 

Very  extensive  use  is  made  of  photographs  and  diagrams 
illustrating  every-day  life  in  the  city  and  in  the  country. 
There  is  at  least  one  interesting  and  practical  original 
exercise  suggested  for  every  principle  cf  health  presented 

•X  '}  O  £*  f\  r* 


vi  INTRODUCTION 

in  any  lesson,  and  it  is  the  plan  that  each  pupil  should 
work  out  each  exercise  and  report  upon  it  during  the  reci- 
tation period.  In  order  further  to  assist  the  teacher  and 
the  pupil,  a  list  of  .questions,  fully  covering  the  text,  has 
been  given  at  the  end  of  each  chapter. 


PREFACE 

THERE  is  one  word  which  has  come  to  be  used  very 
freely  by  every  one  to-day  — "  Efficiency."  Men  in  all 
walks  of  life  are  studying  the  question  of  avoiding  waste 
and  making  their  efforts  count  for  more  than  they  did 
formerly.  Suppose  a  manufacturer  has  been  in  business 
for  thirty  or  forty  years ;  if  he  should  conduct  the  business 
to-day  just  as  he  did  when  he  started  it,  he  would  probably 
soon  have  to  abandon  it  altogether,  because  he  could  not 
compete  with  his  rivals  who  had  adopted  more  efficient 
methods.  Now,  the  human  body  is  a  kind  of  manufac- 
turing concern,  only  it  is  a  more  complicated  one  than  any 
establishment  that  man  can  build.  Just  because  it  has  so 
many  parts  and  is  capable  of  performing  such  a  variety  of 
acts,  there  is  likely  to  be  a  good  deal  of  waste,  and  it  may 
not  be  able  to  produce  the  right  kind  and  amount  of  results 
in  work  or  in  pleasure.  So  the  chief  thing  for  any  person 
to  do  is  to  study  the  question  of  making  his  body  a  smooth- 
running  and  effective  working  machine,  so  that  it  will  always 
be  ready  for  any  task  or  enterprise.  Only  in  this  way  may 
the  most  be  got  out  of  life. 

This  last  book  in  the  Health  Series  shows  the  relation 
between  health  and  efficiency  and  discusses  all  the  problems 
that  have  to  be  considered  in  maintaining  bodily  vigor, 


viii  PREFACE 

poise,  and  resistance  to  disease  and  fatigue.  The  conditions 
of  living  are  not  the  same  to-day  as  they  were  one  hundred 
years  ago ;  and  if  a  person  desires  to  get  the  most  out  of 
life,  he  must  adapt  his  habits  to  the  changed  conditions. 
If  his  habits  are  just  the  same  as  those  of  his  great-great- 
grandfather, he  will  be  likely  to  be  handicapped  in  practically 
all  that  he  wants  to  do.  When  he  ought  to  feel  fine  and 
ready  for  any  task,  he  may  be  suffering  from  aches  and 
pains  and  not  have  energy  enough  for  the  demands  that  are 
made  upon  him.  Then,  too,  one  must  have  good  appear- 
ance in  these  times  when  he  has  to  deal  with  so  many 
people.  If  he  has  an  ill-formed  or  badly  developed  body, 
it  will  count  against  him  wherever  he  goes.  Further,  if  he 
imitates  some  of  the  people  around  him  who  are  constantly 
putting  into  the  body  things  which  weaken  it  and  lower  its 
efficiency,  it  will  be  impossible  for  him  to  get  out  of  life 
what  nature  intended  he  should.  All  these  matters  are 
presented  in  a  concrete  way  in  this  book. 

A  great  many  photographs  and  drawings  have  been  made 
for  this  book  in  order  to  impress  health  principles.  Every 
topic  discussed  is  indicated  in  a  topical  heading  in  the  mar- 
gin;  original  exercises  designed  to  apply  each  principle  are 
given,  and  review  questions  covering  each  point  touched 
upon  are  added  to  each  chapter.  The  book  is  completed 
with  a  glossary  and  an  index  which  will  save  the  time  of 
both  teacher  and  pupil  in  looking  up  any  word  or  subject. 


CONTENTS 

/ 


CHAPTER 


PAGE 

I.  TAKING  THE  MEASURE  OF  A  MAN  i 

II.  THE  VITAL  MACHINERY 20 

III.  THE  VALUE  OF  A  LIFE    ...  ...      45 

IV.  THE  BENEFITS  OF  EXERCISE    ...  -63 
V.  TRAINING  THE  MUSCLES  FOR  HEALTH  AND  SYMMETRY       77 

VI.     FOOD  AND  EFFICIENCY 97 

VII.  How  THE  BODY  is  GOVERNED          .         .         .         .121 

VIII.  THE  MENTAL  FACULTIES          .....  136 

IX.  DECEIVING  THE  NERVES  AND  THE  MIND                  .  148 

X.  HANDICAPS  IN  THE  RACE  OF  LIFE  .                 .         .  165 

XI.  THE  BODY-FILTERS  FOR  DESTROYING  POISONS         .  183 

XII.  How  THE  BODY  RENEWS  ITSELF      ....  202 

XIII.  GERM  PLAGUES 218 

XIV.  LIVING  LONG  AND  WELL 251 

XV.     "SAFETY  FIRST" 277 

GLOSSARY 289 

INDEX  .        •        .    295 


MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

CHAPTER  I 
TAKING  THE  MEASURE  OF  A  MAN 

IN  taking  the  measure  of  a  man  we  will  begin  with  the 
tape  measure.  The  height  varies  very  greatly.  The 
average  height  for  man  is  68  inches  while  the  The  aver- 
average  for  woman  is  64  inches.  Great  height  ase  height, 
is  in  some  cases  due  to  extraordinary  length  of  legs. 
For  this  reason  the  sitting  height  is  more  important  than 
the  standing  height  as  a  measure  of  body  development. 
Women  as  a  rule  have  shorter  legs  than  men,  and  so 
approach  nearer  the  male  average  in  sitting  than  in 
standing  height. 

A  prehistoric  cemetery  discovered  in  Southern  France 
contained  bones  whose  proportions  indicated  that  they 
must  have  belonged  to  men  at  least  eight  feet  high.  The 
average  height  of  human  beings  to-day  is  doubtless  less 
than  it  was  in  some  former  age. 

That  the  average  height  is  decreasing  is  shown  in 
the  fact  that  the  minimum  height  required  for  enroll- 
ment in  the  army  has  of  late  been  considerably  lessened 


MAKING  THE   MOST  OF  LIFE 


in  different  countries.  France  has  lowered  the  standard 
three  times  in  fifty  years,  making  a  total  difference  of 
four  inches.  The  English  government  has  been  obliged 
to  lower  the  standard  as  much  as  six  inches  in  fifty 
years,  and  the  United  States  Government  has  also 
recently  lowered  its  standard. 

That  there  is  some  advantage  in  height  may  be  shown 

in  the  fact  that  we  all 
wish  to  be  tall.  A  person 
of  tall  stature  has  (other 
things  being  equal)  a  more 
commanding  presence  and 
greater  physical  power. 
Low  stature  is  often  a 
handicap  in  the  race  of 
life.  Nevertheless,  some 
of  the  world's  greatest  men 
in  all  lines  have  been  men 
of  small  stature.  Alex- 
ander the  Great,  Napoleon, 
Lord  Nelson,  Lord  Roberts, 
and  many  more  of  the 
great  military  geniuses  of 
the  world  were  men  of 
small  or  medium  stature.  It  may  be  that  the  advan- 
tage is  not  all  on  the  side  of  the  tall  man.  Energy, 
alertness,  and  quickness  of  thought  and  action  are  more 
frequently  the  qualities  of  the  small  man  than  of  the 
man  of  great  stature. 


TAKING  THE  MEASURE  OF  A  MAN. 


TAKING  THE   MEASURE  OF  A  MAN  3 

That  systematic  physical  exercise  tends  to  increase 
the  height  is  shown  in  the  fact  that  young  men  who 
enlist  in  the  army  sometimes  increase  several  Exercise 
inches  in  height  as  a  result  of  the  military  and  height, 
drill.  An  English  trainer  reports  the  case  of  a  young 
man  twenty-one  years  of  age  who  had  not  grown  per- 
ceptibly for  two  years,  but  who  took  a  new  start  and 
grew  four  inches  as  the  result  of  systematic  exercise 
after  entering  military  service. 

The  height  depends  primarily  upon  the  length  of  the 
bones.  The  bones  are  nourished  by  the  arteries  supply- 
ing the  overlying  muscles.  We  know  that  the  blood 
supply  of  an  active  muscle  is  several  times  as  great  as 
that  of  an  inactive  one.  (Illustrate  this  by  an  experi- 
ment.) The  growth  of  the  bones  depends  much  upon 
muscular  activity  and  is  likely  to  be  increased  by 
vigorous  exercise.  The  time  to  work  for  an  increase  in 
height  is  while  the  growing  bones  still  contain  more  or 
less  cartilage.  Why  ?  After  the  bones  become  hard- 
ened, not  much  change  can  be  made  in  the  height. 
When  do  they  become  hardened  ? 

During  the  years  of  growth  there  should  be  a  steady 
increase  in  height,  though  the  rate  of  growth  varies  at 
different  ages,  and  in  this  respect  there  is  a  difference 
between  boys  and  girls.  Measurements  made  of  a 
great  many  thousands  of  children  in  different  countries 
show  that  the  average  height  of  boys  and  girls  is  almost 
the  same  until  about  the  eleventh  year,  when  the  girls 
become  taller  and  keep  ahead  up  to  about  the  sixteenth 


MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 


year.     Then  the  boys  not  only  catch  up  with  the  girls, 

but  even  surpass  them  in  height. 

Of  more  importance  than 
height  is  symmetry,  which  means 
Symmet-  a  good  general  develop- 
ricai  de-  ment  of  the  whole  body. 

velopment.    According    to     Dr     Gio_ 

vanni,  of  Milan,  the  proper  pro- 
portions of  the  human  figure  are 
as  given  in  the  accompanying 
table.  You  may  use  the  tape 
line  on  yourself  to  see  how  nearly 
you  approach  his  standard  of  the 
ideal  proportions.  In  this  way 
you  may  find  out  what  are  your 
deficiencies  and  what  parts  of 
your  body  need  special  develop- 
ment. 


SYMMETRY  is   OF  GREATER 

IMPORTANCE    THAN    HEIGHT. 


1.  The  height  of  a  person  is  equal  to  the  greatest  stretch  of  the 

arms;    that  is,  the  distance  between  the  tips  of  the  middle 
fingers  when  they  are  extended  laterally  as  far  as  possible. 

2.  The  circumference  of  the  chest  is  equal  to  one  half  the  height. 

3.  The  length  of  the  sternum  or  breast  bone  is  equal  to  one  fifth 

of  the  circumference  of  the  chest. 

Represented  in  inches,  these  measurements  work 
out  as  follows  for  a  man  and  woman  who  closely  ap- 
proach the  ideal  type,  although  a  particular  man  or 
woman  might  vary  considerably  from  these  measure- 
ments, and  still  be  normal : 


TAKING  THE  MEASURE  OF  A  MAN 


MAN 

WOMAN 

Height       '•''•-*. 

68.8  inches 

64     inches 

Extreme  stretch  of  arms    .     .-,- 
Circumference  of  chest    .     .    ;.  I 
Length  of  sternum       .     .     .    V 
Height  of  abdomen      .... 
Width  of  pelvis 

68.8  inches 
34.5  inches 
6.8  inches 
12.9  inches 
10.4  inches 

64     inches 
31.8  inches 
6.4  inches 
12     inches 
I  o.i  inches 

The  waist  of  the  ideal  woman  is  a  little  larger  in  pro- 
portion to  her  height  than  that  of  the  ideal  man. 
According  to  the  famous  Venus  de  Milo,  a  woman's 
waist  measurements  should  be  47.6  per  cent  of  the 
height.  In  women,  the  organs  which  lie  in  the  waist 
zone, — the  liver,  stomach,  kidneys,  spleen,  and  pan- 
creas, —  are  normally  larger  in  proportion  to  the  body 
weight  than  they  are  in  men.  This  is  necessary  on 
account  of  the  function  of  motherhood,  when  these 
organs  have  to  do  work  for  two.  A  very  small  waist  is 
an  evidence  of  weakness  and  usually  means  internal 
deformities. 

A  small  person  who  is  well  proportioned  and  well- 
poised  has  a  much  better  appearance  and  makes  a  better 
impression  than  a  tall  person  who  is  not  well  developed 
and  has  not  a  good  carriage. 

Here  is  a  test  you  may  make  as  to  the  habitual  atti- 
tude of  your  body:    A  plumb   line  dropped  Goodpoise 
from  the  tip  of  your  nose  should  fall  one  inch  more  hn- 
in  front  of  your  big  toes.     Your  shoulders  and  than 
hips  should  touch  a  straight  vertical  line.     If  stature, 
you  fail  to  come  up  to  this   standard,  take   a   look 


MAKING  THE   MOST  OF  LIFE 


at  yourself  sideways  in  the  glass.  It  is  quite  cer- 
tain that  you  are  round-shouldered,  your  chest  caves 
in,  and  your  abdomen  sticks  out.  You  need  to  prac- 
tice exercises  for  obtaining  the  correct  standing  and 
sitting  positions  until  they  become  habitual. 

It  is  very  important  to  remember  that  the  position 
habitually  taken  in  standing  or 
sitting  is  a  mold  into  which  the 
body  grows.  A  person  who  sits 
in  a  drooping  attitude  becomes 
round-shouldered  and  flat-chested. 
You  know  what  happens  to  the 
internal  organs  of  such  a  person. 
The  lungs  have  not  space  for 
proper  development,  and  the  de- 
pression of  the  ribs  crowds  down 
the  stomach,  liver,  and  other  ab- 
dominal organs,  which  are  not 
sufficiently  supported  by  the  re- 
laxed and  weakened  abdominal 
muscles.  The  breathing  is  in- 
efficient, the  circulation  is  inter- 
fered with,  the  vital  organs  be- 
come congested  with  stagnant  blood,  and  various 
disorders  are  likely  to  result. 

While  we  are  speaking  of  symmetry,  we  may  notice 
something  which  is  closely  associated  with  it,  — 
The  beauty  beauty.  This  is  one  of  the  characteristics 
of  the  body.  of  a  well-proportioned,  healthy  human  being. 


TRY    THIS     TEST    ON     YOUR- 


TAKING  THE   MEASURE  OF  A  MAN 


Human  beauty  consists  in  regularity  of  features, 
clearness  of  skin,  intelligence  of  expression,  symmetry 
of  form,  and  grace  of  motion.  Beauty  is  more  than 
skin  deep.  Beauty  without  is  born  of  health  within. 
A  beautiful  skin,  without  pimples  or  discolorations  or 
eruptions  of  any  kind,  de- 
pends upon  a  healthy  condi- 
tion of  the  blood.  A  skin 
fed  by  healthy  blood  has  a 
fineness  of  texture,  a  clear- 
ness and  cleanness  of  tint, 
and  a  glow  of  life,  that  are 
always  pleasing. 

In  the  ideal  form,  the  layer 
of  fat  beneath  the  skin  is  just 
sufficient  to  round  out  the 
corners  and  pad  out  the  form 
and  features,  leaving  no  un- 
sightly hollows  or  disfiguring 
lumps  of  superfluous  tissue. 

If  the  skin  were  removed, 
it  would  be  seen  that  nearly 
all  the  surface  of  the  body 
is  composed  of  muscles.  It  is  readily  seen  that 
beauty  of  form,  as  well  as  grace  of  motions,  depends 
very  much  upon  the  proper  development  of  the 
muscles.  Even  the  regularity  of  the  features  de- 
pends to  a  great  degree  on  the  rounded  and  perfect 
outline  of  the  muscles  of  the  face.  And  the  expres- 


BEAUTY  OF  FORM  DEPENDS  VERY 
MUCH  UPON  THE  DEVELOPMENT 
OF  THE  MUSCLES. 


8 


MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 


sion  of  the  face  depends  upon  the  sort  of  muscles 
that  are  brought  oftenest  into  action.  Those  that 
contract  oftenest  become  the  strongest,  and  give  the 
index  to  the  face,  making  it  grave  or  gay,  smiling  or 
frowning,  pleasant  or  morose.  These  muscles  are 

attached  to  the  skin, 
and  they  pull  the  skin 
around  in  different 
ways  to  make  it  con- 
form to  the  varying 
states  of  the  mind. 
So  the  face  is  a  mirror 
of  the  mind,  and  a 
beautiful  expression  is 
not  possible  without 
good,  pure,  and  beau- 
tiful thoughts. 

In    measuring    our 
man  we  shall  next  use 

Th  6  Weight 
Of  the  body. 

chine.  The  weight  of 
man  varies  far  more  than  the  height,  on  which,  of 
course,  it  largely  depends. 

History  tells  us  of  a  Mr.  Lambert,  of  Leicester,  Eng- 
land, who  "in  corporeal  greatness  had  no  competitor, 
having  reached  the  enormous  weight  of  628  pounds." 
Think  how  heavily  handicapped  one  would  be  with  such 
a  load  to  carry  ! 


THE  BEAUTY  OF  THE  FACE  DEPENDS  VERY 
LARGELY  UPON  THE  MUSCLES  THAT  ARE 
HABITUALLY  MOST  ACTIVE. 


TAKING  THE  MEASURE  OF  A  MAN 


It  has  been  estimated  that  a  perfectly  proportioned 
man  weighs  from  two  to  two  and  a  half  pounds  for  each 
inch  of  his  height. 

The  following  table  gives  us  the  average  weight  for 
boys  and  girls  of  different  ages  and  heights. 


AGE 

BOYS 

GIRLS 

Height  in 
inches 

Weight  in  Ibs. 

Height  in 
inches 

Weight  in  Ibs. 

5     

4J-57 
4375 
45-74 
47.76 
49.69 
5I-58 

53-33 
55.11 
57.21 
59.88 

41.09 

45-17 
49.07 

53-92 

59-23 
65.30 
70.18 
76.92 
84.85 
94.91 

41.29 

43-35 
45-52 
47.58 

49-37 
51-34 
53-42 
55.88 

39-66 
43-28 
47.46 
52.04 

57-07 
62.35 
68.84 
78-31 

6                  

7     . 

8    .     .     .'.'..     .     . 

•  ,   • 

10   

1  1                        

1  2 

13 

x  j 
IA. 

AT 

Weigh  and  measure  yourself  and  your  classmates  to 
see  how  closely  you  all  come  to  these  averages.  One's 
nationality  determines  to  some  extent  his  height  and  to 
a  less  extent  his  weight.  See  if  you  can  tell  from  observ- 
ing the  people  in  your  community  whether  American  men 
and  women  are  taller  or  shorter,  heavier  or  lighter,  than 
people  who  have  recently  come  from  Germany  or  Italy 
or  Ireland  or  Sweden  or  England  or  Russia,  and  so  on. 

The  following  table  shows  the  relation  of  height  and 
weight  at  different  ages. 


10 


MAKING  THE   MOST  OF  LIFE 


TABLE  OF  RELATION  OF  HEIGHT  AND  WEIGHT  COMPILED  FROM 
LIFE  INSURANCE  RECORDS 


MEN  —  AGES  15  TO  24 

WOMEN  —  AGES  15  TO  19 

Height 

Weight 

Height 

Weight 

5  feet    o  inch 

1  2O 

4  feet  ii  inches 

III 

I  inch 

122 

5  feet    o  inch 

ri3 

2  inches 

124 

i  inch 

US 

3  inches 

127 

2  inches 

117 

4  inches 

131 

3  inches 

1  20 

5  inches 

134 

4  inches 

123 

6  inches 

138 

5  inches 

125 

7  inches 

142 

6  inches 

128 

8  inches 

146 

7  inches 

132 

9  inches 

ISO 

8  inches 

136 

10  inches 

154 

9  inches 

140 

ii  inches 

159 

10  inches 

144 

6  feet    o  inch 

I65 

i  inch 

170 

2  inches 

I76 

3  inches 

181 

The  weight,  like  the  height,  should  steadily  increase 
during  the  years  of  growth.  These  tables  show  us  that 
even  after  adult  life  is  reached,  there  is  usually  some 
increase  of  weight  with  advancing  years. 

The  chief  medical  director  of  one  of  the  largest  life 
insurance  companies  of  New  York  said  that,  in  collect- 
ing statistics,  of  weight,  the  average  weight  had  been 
taken  as  the  normal  standard,  so  that  it  seemed  natural 
for  people  to  grow  more  stout  as  they  grew  older. 
But  when  he  came  to  study  the  death  rate,  he  found  that 


TAKING  THE   MEASURE  OF  A  MAN         n 

the  average  mortality  was  lowest  among  those  a  little 
below  the  average  weight.  This  indicates  that  the 
average  weight  is  not  the  normal  weight,  and  that 
though  the  average  weight  increases  with  years  the 
normal  weight  does  not.  That  is,  for  a  man  of  a  certain 
height  there  is  a  fixed  normal  weight  close  to  which  he 
should  keep  through  life. 

In  a  healthy  person  there  are  usually  slight  changes 
from  time  to  time  in  the  weight,  but  any  considerable 
deviation  from  the  normal  should  be  given  attention. 
A  rapid  loss  in  weight  may  indicate  the  development  of 
tuberculosis  or  disease  of  some  internal  organ.  Fever 
causes  a  rapid  loss  in  weight,  as  does  also  any  disease 
which  interferes  with  the  digestion  or  assimilation  of 
food. 

Athletes  or  others  in  special  training  to  reduce  their 
weight  may  acquire  a  very  rapid  loss  without  injury. 
Jockeys  sometimes  lose  more  than  twenty  pounds  in  a 
week. 

Loss  of  sleep  will  invariably  cause  loss  of  weight. 
Stock  raisers  know  that  it  is  no  use  to  try  to  fatten  an 
animal  that  becomes  restless  and  will  not  sleep.  A 
baby  that  sleeps  most  of  the  time,  as  a  normal  infant 
should  do,  is  usually  plump,  while  a  restless,  crying 
baby  is  always  puny.  So  a  sufficient  amount  of  sleep 
is  of  great  importance  during  the  growing  period  to 
keep  one  up  to  the  normal  standard  of  weight. 

On  the  other  hand,  a  rapid  gain  in  weight  above 
the  normal  also  calls  for  attention.  The  statistics  of 


12  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

insurance  companies  show  that  persons  who  are  ten 
per  cent  over  weight  are  on  the  average  shorter  lived 
TheevUof  tnan  those  who  are  ten  per  cent  under  weight, 
too  much  Very  fleshy  persons  are  seldom  long  lived. 
When  a  sheep  becomes  very  fat  the  butcher 
knows  it  must  be  killed  or  it  will  decline  and  die.  The 
fat  is  likely  to  accumulate  not  only  beneath  the  skin 
upon  the  outside  of  the  body,  but  also  upon  the  inside 
about  the  internal  organs.  Then  the  vital  machinery 
becomes  clogged,  and  the  action  of  the  lungs,  heart,  and 
other  organs  is  interfered  with.  This  naturally  has  the 
effect  of  lessening  the  mental  energy.  That  this  han- 
dicap may  be  overcome,  however,  is  shown  by  the  fact 
that  some  of  the  most  eminent  statesmen  have  been 
men  of  great  bulk. 

It  is  not  the  amount  but  the  quality  of  one's  flesh 
that  counts.  Exercise  hardens  the  muscles,  and  gives 
firmness  and  solidity  to  the  body,  increasing  its  specific 
gravity.  (What  does  this  mean  ?)  Athletes  and  others 
who  are  physically  active  weigh  more  in  proportion  to 
their  size  than  those  whose  flesh  is  soft  and  flabby  from 
lack  of  exercise.  Why,  do  you  think  ? 

In  ancient  Sparta,  whose  people  were  a  race  of  war- 
riors, the  State  required  of  every  citizen  a  high  standard 
of  physical  efficiency.  Among  them  corpulence  was 
treated  as  a  crime.  The  citizen  who  grew  too  fat  or  too 
soft  for  military  exercise  was  punished  by  whipping. 
One  offender  was  brought  before  the  council  at  a  meet- 
ing of  the  people  of  Sparta,  and  his  illegal  fatness  was 


TAKING  THE  MEASURE  OF  A  MAN         13 

publicly  exposed.  He  was  then  threatened  with  per- 
petual banishment  if  he  did  not  reduce  his  proportions 
to  the  Spartan  standard.  Was  this  a  good  plan  to 
follow?  Why? 

The  tape  measure  and  the  weighing  machine  do  not, 
after  all,  tell  us  very  much  about  the  man  ;  they  do  not 
even  tell  us  whether  he  is  alive  or  dead.     Here  The 
is  another  measuring  instrument  —  the  dyna-  strength 
mometer  —  which  will  give  us   an   accurate  ofman* 
description  of  the  living,  active  man.     By  it  we  are 
able  to  measure  the  energy  of  the  body  and  the  ability 
to  manifest  that  energy  through  the  muscular  system 
as  a  whole,  or  through  each  particular  group  of  muscles. 
It  tests  the  strength  of  the  hand  grip,  the  arm  pull,  the 
trunk  pull,  and  so  on  (about  twenty-five  groups  in  all) 
unassisted  by  any  of  the  other  muscles. 

Since  the  muscular  system  is  actuated  and  con- 
trolled by  the  nervous  system,  the  dynamometer  tests 
not  only  the  muscles  but  the  nerves  and  nerve  centers 
as  well,  and  so  gives  us  a  precise  measure  of  the  condition 
of  a  man's  motor  apparatus,  or  his  ability  to  exert  power. 
For  this  purpose  it  is  used  in  the  United  States  govern- 
ment military  training  schools  and  in  the  university 
and  other  gymnasiums,  to  find  out  the  strength  capacity, 
to  bring  to  light  any  weakness  in  special  groups  of 
muscles,  and  so  to  indicate  the  kind  and  amount  of 
exercise  needed  to  bring  the  individual  to  a  normal 
state. 

From  an  examination  of  two  hundred  healthy  young 


MAKING  THE   MOST  OF   LIFE 


TESTING      THE    MUSCLES 


5.U&.tissi-       16.  Prori&tors    I7.5upin*tors      Iff.   NecK  19.  Neck 


20.  Neck          21.  Shoulder    22,  PectorAis  23.    Inspir-      2^4.   Insptr-    25.  Trunk         26  Trunk 
Uvter&l         Retractors  <\tion  Chest     e».iion  WAist       Anterior  l.6.ter&! 

WITH     THE     DYNAMOMETER 


TAKING  THE   MEASURE  OF  A  MAN         15 

men  between  the  ages  of  twenty  to  thirty  and  an  equal 
number  of  healthy  young  women  of  the  same  w^  one»s 
age,  the  following  table  showing  their  com-  strength 
parative  strength  expressed  in  pounds  avoir-  shouldbe- 
dupois  has  been  made. 


MEN 

WOMEN 

Strength  of  arms 

i  £30  pounds 

86^5  pounds 

Strength  of  legs  
Strength  of  trunk  
Strength  of  chest  

2265  pounds 
1040  pounds 
365  pounds 

1325  pounds 
515  pounds 
165  pounds 

Strength  of  entire  body  .  .  . 

5200  pounds 

2870  pounds 

From  a  study  of  these  tables  we  may  learn  some 
interesting  facts.  The  total  strength  of  the  average 
woman  as  compared  with  that  of  the  average  man  is 
.55,  or  a  little  more  than  half.  The  weight  of  the  aver- 
age woman  as  compared  with  that  of  the  average  man 
is  .86,  or  about  four  fifths.  The  height  of  the  average 
woman  as  compared  with  that  of  the  average  man  is 
.94.  It  thus  appears  that  the  average  woman  is  even 
more  inferior  to  the  average  man  in  strength  than  she 
is  in  height  and  weight. 

In  a  comparative  study  of  tall  men  and  short  men,  it 
has  been  found  that  tall  men  are  at  nearly  every  point 
stronger  than  short  men.  The  total  strength  capacity 
of  the  short  man  was  found  to  be  ninety  per  cent  of  that 
of  the  tall  man. 

The  total  strength  capacity  of  the  muscles  in  a  well- 


i6 


MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 


developed  man  is  about  10,000  foot  pounds,  that  is, 
the  ability  to  lift  10,000  pounds  one  foot  high.  This 
represents,  of  course,  not  the  weight  that  the  man  could 
actually  lift,  but  the  aggregate  strength  of  all  the  muscles 
of  the  body. 


9OO 

TON5 


THIS    SHOWS   THE   TOTAL    AMOUNT   OF   WORK  THAT   MAY    BE    DONE    IN   ONE    DAY    BY 

A    LABORING   MAN. 

The  total  amount  of  work  that  may  be  done  in  a  day 
by  an  ordinary  laboring  man  is  estimated  by  competent 
authorities  to  be  about  equal  to  1,800,000  foot  pounds, 
or  the  lifting  of  nine  hundred  tons  one  foot  high.  This 
is  equivalent  to  the  lifting  of  a  hundred  pound  weight 
one  foot  high,  thirty  times  a  minute  during  ten  hours. 


TAKING  THE  MEASURE  OF  A  MAN         17 

A  man  could  not,  of  course,  accomplish  this  with  his 
arms  alone,  but  by  employing  both  his  arms  and  his 
legs  he  may  accomplish  this  enormous  amount  and  even 
more.  Indeed,  the  body  has  such  a  wonderful  capacity 
for  work  that  it  is  possible  for  a  strong  man  to  put 
forth  this  amount  of  effort  in  a  fraction  of  a  day  by 
taxing  his  energies  to  the  utmost,  as  in  such  violent 
exercise  as  a  rowing  or  swimming  contest. 

HEALTH  PROBLEMS 

1.  Find  out  whether  the  leading  men  in  your  community  are 
above  the  average  in  height  or  below  it. 

2.  If  you  can  do  so,  find  out  whether  the  tall  men  in  your 
community  belong  to  some  particular  profession. 

3.  Have  the  presidents  of  the  United  States  been  above  the 
average  height,  or  have  they  been  below  it  ? 

4.  Are  there  some  kinds  of  work  which  can  be  done  by  short 
as  well  as  by  tall  men  ?     If  you  think  so,  mention  the  kinds  of 
work  you  have  in  mind. 

5.  Is  it  as  necessary  that  men  should  be  tall  to-day  as  it  was 
thousands  of  years   ago,  when   they  worked   with   the   muscles 
mainly,  and  when  there  were  no  railroads,  telephones,  automobiles, 
or  such  inventions  ? 

6.  How  many  of  the  people  you  meet  seem  to  you  to  be  sym- 
metrical and  well  poised  ?     What  is  the  trouble  with  those  who 
are  ncu  so  ? 

7.  What  is  the  chief  reason  why  people  become  unsymmetrical, 
do  you  think  ? 

8.  Which  would  you  rather  be,  if  you  could  not  be  exactly 
normal  —  too  lean  or  too  fleshy  ?     Why  ? 

9.  Do  you   know  many   people  who   are   too   fleshy  ?     What 
habits  of  living  make  them  so  ? 


i8  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

10.  Are  the  people  in  your  community  who  are  "doing  things" 
lean  people,  or  are  they  fat  ? 

11.  Show  by  taking  some  object  in  the  room  what  a  foot  pound 
means. 

12.  How  much  work  would  you  do  in  one  minute  if  you  should 
lift  a  classmate  weighing  fifty  pounds  three  feet  high  twelve  times 
in  the  minute  ? 

13.  Try  to  calculate  in  foot  pounds  how  much  work  you  would 
do  in  one  day  if  you  should  walk  fifteen  miles  on  a  level  road. 

REVIEW  QUESTIONS 

1.  What  is  the  height  of  the  average  man?     Of  the  average 
woman  ? 

2.  Why  is  sitting  height  more  important  than  standing  height  ? 

3.  Is  the  average  height  of  men  and  women  increasing  or  de- 
creasing ? 

4.  Are  the  greatest  men  as  a  rule  the  tallest  men  ?     Can  you 
name  a  great  man  who  is  quite  short  ? 

5.  How  may  height  be  increased  ?     At  what  time  in  life  does 
a  person  increase  the  most  in  height  ?     Why  ? 

6.  What   is   meant   by  symmetry?     Why   is   symmetry    more 
important  than  weight  ? 

7.  According  to  Doctor  Giovanni,  what  are  the  ideal  proportions 
for  the  human  body  ? 

8.  What  habits  of  sitting  and  standing  may  spoil  the  symmetry 
of  the  body  ? 

9.  Describe  a  beautiful  person. 

10.  What  does  a  rapid  loss  in  weight  often  indicate  ? 

11.  Is  a  rapid  gain  in  weight  a  good  thing  ? 

12.  Which    live    the    longer,    usually  —  lean    people    or   very 
fleshy  people  ? 

13.  How  were  people  who  were  too  fleshy  treated  in  Sparta  ? 

14.  What  is  a  dynamometer  ?     Describe  its  use. 


TAKING  THE  MEASURE  OF  A  MAN         19 

15.  How  does  the  average  woman  compare  with  the  average 
man  in  height  ?     In  strength  ?     In  weight  ? 

16.  What  is  meant  by  a  foot  pound  ?     The  work  done  by  the 
average  laboring  man  in  one  day  is   equal    to  how   many  foot 
pounds  ? 


CHAPTER   H 
THE  VITAL  MACHINERY 

As  you  probably  know  already,  a  great  amount  of 
work  is  done  by  the  heart.  The  work  done  by  the  right 
The  work  ventricle,  which  sends  the  blood  into  the 
of  the  lungs,  or  the  pulmonary  circulation,  is  only  one 
heart.  third  that  of  the  left  ventricle,  which  drives  the 
blood  through  the  general  circulation.  One  physiolo- 
gist has  calculated  that  the  work  done  by  the  two  ven- 
tricles in  twenty-four  hours  "is  enough  to  raise  a 
weight  of  half  a  stone  (seven  pounds)  from  the  bottom 
of  the  lowest  mine  to  the  top  of  the  highest  mountain, 
or  to  raise  the  man  himself  to  more  than  twice  the  height 
of  the  spire  of  Strasbourg  Cathedral/'  which  is  a  dis- 
tance of  about  one  thousand  feet. 

When  the  heart  contracts,  a  wavelike  impulse  is  sent 
throughout  the  whole  system,  traveling  from  the  heart 
to  the  remotest  part  of  the  system  in  the  sixth  part  of  a 
second,  so  that  it  is  practically  instantaneous.  Where 
the  arteries  come  close  to  the  surface,  this  movement 
(the  pulse)  may  be  felt.  The  frequency  of  the  pulse 
depends  upon  the  age.  The  following  table  gives  the 
average  rate  for  different  ages. 


20 


THE  VITAL  MACHINERY  21 

At  birth    .     .     .     .  •  /    .     .  136  beats  per  minute 

From    2-7    years       ...  97  beats  per  minute 

From  14—21  years       ...  76  beats  per  minute 

From  28—35  years       ...  70  beats  per  minute 

From  56-63  years       ...  68  beats  per  minute 

From  77—84  years       ...  71  beats  per  minute 

In  women  the  pulse  is  seven  to  ten  beats  faster  than 
in  men.  The  average  rate  of  pulsation  in  men  is  72,  in 
women  80. 

The  rate  at  which  the  heart  works  varies  with  many 
conditions.  When  one  is  lying  in  bed,  the  heart  has 
only  to  move  the  blood  on  a  level ;  but  when  one  is 
sitting,  standing,  or  walking,  the  heart  has  to  lift  the 
blood  in  the  body  to  a  greater  or  less  height  and  so  has 
a  much  larger  amount  of  work  to  do  than  when  one  is 
lying  down.  In  exercise,  the  rate  of  the  heart  beat  is 
greatly  increased,  as  you  know ;  and  there  are  other 
factors  which  modify  its  action. 

The  pulse  is  an  index  to  the  condition  of  the  heart 
and  an  indicator  of  the  general  condition  of  the  system. 
The  pulse  may  be  made  to  write  its  own  record  . 

/  Measuring 

by  means  of  the  delicate  mechanism  or  an  the  work 
instrument    called    the    sphygmo graph.     The  ofthe 
normal  pulse  rate,  as  is  seen  in  the  accompany- 
ing illustration,   gives  regular,   uniform  curves.     The 
long  up-stroke  represents  the  contraction  of  the  heart, 
or  the  beat  of  the  pulse.     The  irregular  tracings  seen 
below  the  normal  tracing  show  how  the  work  of  the 
heart  may  be  affected  by  disease. 

There  is  another  kind  of  record  that  may  be  made  of 


22  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

the  work  of  the  heart,  indicated  by  what  is  called  the 
Recording  blood  pressure,  which  is  taken  by  means  of  the 
blood  sphygmomanometer,  shown  in  the  accompany- 
pressure.  jng  picture  f  ne  pulse  tells  us  the  rate  of  the 
heart  beat ;  the  blood  pressure  indicates  the  amount  of 
force  that  is  being  exerted. 


TESTING  THE  BLOOD  PRESSURE  BY  THE  SPHYGMOMANOMETER. 

The  work  of  the  heart,  as  we  have  seen,  is  to  force  the 
blood  through  the  extensive  and  intricate  pipe  system 
of  the  body.  The  pressure  or  force  required  to  carry 
the  blood  through  the  entire  circulation  and  back  to 
the  heart  is  equal  to  that  required  to  raise  a  pound  of 
water  five  or  six  feet  high  or  a  mercury  column  five  or 
six  inches. 

In  the  same  individual,  the  blood  pressure  varies 


THE  VITAL  MACHINERY  23 

considerably  in  a  state  of  health.  When  one  is  sitting 
or  lying  down,  the  pressure  is  lower  than  when  one  is 
standing  or  walking.  That  of  a  person  sitting  quiet 
would  be  less  than  that  of  the  same  person  talking  and 
laughing.  Excitement  or  anger,  severe  muscular  effort 
or  mental  strain,  will  cause  a  temporary  rise  of  blood 
pressure. 

The  blood  pressure  depends  upon  (i)  the  force  of  the 
heart  beat ;  (2)  the  elasticity  of  the  blood  vessels ; 
(3)  the  volume  and  thickness  of  the  blood.  The  pipe 
system  of  the  body  is  not,  as  you  know,  like  the  water 
mains  of  a  city,  —  made  of  hard,  inelastic  pipes.  It  is 
composed  of  elastic  tissue  which  is  able  to  adjust  itself 
to  varying  conditions.  When,  for  instance,  one  gets 
excited  and  there  is  a  tendency  to  a  rise  of  blood  pres- 
sure, the  elasticity  of  the  walls  of  the  arteries  allows 
them  to  stretch  a  little  bit  and  so  to  keep  the  blood 
pressure  from  rising  so  much  as  it  otherwise  would  dp. 

The  arteries  have  longitudinal  muscles,  which  pass 
lengthwise  of  the   artery,    and   also  circular  muscles, 
which  pass  around  the  artery.     The  smallest  Thework 
arteries  of  the  body  contract  and  dilate  with  Of  the  ar- 
a  steady  rhythm  like  the  heart,  but  independ-  teries  'm 

r   .  1111  1111    circulation. 

ent  of  it,  and  thu's  help  to  pump  the  blood 
along  through  the  tissues.     The  muscles  of  the  artery 
walls  contract  and  force  the  blood  onward  in  a  manner 
somewhat  similar  to  the  way  in  which  food  is  forced 
along  in  the  intestinal  tract. 

We  see,  then,  that  the  arteries  assist  the  work  of  the 


24  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

heart  in  two  ways :  (i)  Their  elasticity  enables  them 
to  expand  when  an  increasing  volume  of  blood  is  forced 
into  them ;  (2)  the  contracting  of  the  arteries  helps 
to  force  the  blood  onward. 

It  is  essential  that  a  certain  degree  of  pressure  should 
be  maintained  in  the  blood  vessels  since  a  considerable 
The  evil  amount  of  force  is  required  to  send  the  blood 
of  too  high  through  the  fine  capillaries  of  the  body.  From 
blood  tne  large  blood  vessel  in  the  center  of  the  body 
-the  aorta  —  which  is  about  the  size  of  the 
thumb,  the  blood  vessels  branch  and  subdivide,  becom- 
ing smaller  and  smaller,  until  they  are  so  fine  that  they 
can  not  be  seen  with  the  naked  eye.  The  white  of  the 
healthy  eye  looks  perfectly  clear,  and  yet  it  is  covered 
with  minute  blood  vessels,  little  arterioles,  through 
which  the  blood  is  being  forced  under  normal  pressure. 
So  it  is  in  the  brain,  in  the  kidneys,  and  in  the  lung 
tissue.  These  fine  arterioles  are  carrying  the  blood  in 
invisible  columns,  and  the  wall  of  the  blood  vessel  is  so 
thin  that  there  is  interchange  between  the  air  and  the 
blood  as  it  comes  to  the  surface  in  the  delicate  lung 
tissue.  If  for  any  reason  the  blood  pressure  falls  much 
below  the  normal,  the  force  will  not  be  sufficient  to 
push  the  blood  through  the  narrow  capillaries.  With  low 
blood  pressure  some  of  the  brain  cells,  the  cells  of  the 
lungs  and  of  the  kidneys,  and  other  delicate  cells,  do 
not  get  the  necessary  nutrition,  and  the  tissues  become 
impaired  on  that  account. 

Examinations   made  with   the   sphygmomanometer 


THE  VITAL  MACHINERY  25 

show  great  variations  in  the  blood  pressure  in  disease. 
In  fevers,  shock,  or  other  conditions  in  which  there  is 
great  bodily  weakness,  the  blood  pressure  sinks  far 
below  the  normal.  But  in  some  diseases,  especially 
in  arterio-sclerosis,  or  hardening  of  the  arteries,  it 
rises  very  high,  sometimes  even  as  high  as  three  times 
the  normal. 

When  the  arterial  walls  become  shriveled,  stiffened, 
and  inelastic,  there  is  required  more  pressure  to  force 
the  blood  through  their  narrowed  channels.  The  effect 
Besides  this,  they  no  longer  assist  the  heart  ofhard- 
in  pumping  the  blood,  so  that  the  labor  of  enedar- 
the  heart  is  greatly  increased.     You  can  see 
that  when  the  heart  has  to  pump  continually  against 
a  pressure  much  greater  than  the  normal,  it  has  to  do 
a  large  amount  of  extra  work.     This  causes  it  to  be- 
come enlarged,  and  after  a  while  it  gets  worn  out,  and 
heart  failure  is  likely  to  result. 

A  person's  real  age  is  shown  by  the  condition  of  his 
arteries,  according  to  the  saying  often  quoted,  "A  man 
is  as  old  as  his  arteries."  Hardening  of  the  arteries 
is  a  sign  of  approaching  old  age.  A  man  of  seventy 
whose  arteries  are  still  in  a  soft,  elastic  condition  is 
really  younger  than  one  of  fifty  whose  arterial  walls 
are  already  becoming  hardened. 

There  are  various  things  that  cause  hardening  of  the 
arteries,  such  as  alcohol,  habitual  overeating,  the  ab- 
sorption of  poisons  from  the  intestinal  canal  as  a  result 
of  a  wrong  diet  and  constipation,  and  lack  of  sufficient 


26 


MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 


exercise.  Tobacco,  tea,  and  coffee,  and  also  irritating 
condiments  such  as  pepper  and  mustard,  and  the  free 
use  of  flesh  foods  are  common  causes  of  hardening  of 
the  arteries. 

The  words  of  the  wise  king  to  the  young  man  :  "  Keep 

thy  heart  with  all  dili- 
gence, for  out  of  it  are 
the  issues  of  life,"  may 
well  be  given  a  phys- 
ical application.  A 
strong  heart  insures 
vigorous  circulation 
and  an  ample  supply 
of  blood  to  every  part. 
Especially  in  the  crises 
of  life  (in  times  of  men- 
tal or  physical  strain 
or  of  acute  disease) 
success  or  failure,  life 
or  death,  may  de- 
pend upon  the  sound- 
ness and  strength  of 
the  heart. 

There  is  another  measuring  instrument,  the  spi- 
rometer,  by  means  of  which  we  can  find  out  the  vital 
The  vital  capacity  of  a  man  ;  that  is,  the  amount  of  air 
capacity.  tnat  can  be  changed  at  one  respiration. 

Lung  capacity  is  determined  by  the  extent  of  the  lung 
surface  or  respiratory  area,  indicated  by  the  size  of  the 


THE    SPIROMETER     FOR    MEASURING    A    MAN*S 
VITAL    CAPACITY. 


THE  VITAL  MACHINERY 


27 


chest  and  also  by  the  mobility  of  the  chest ;  that  is,  its 
capacity  for  movement.  The  strength  of  the  muscles 
which  expand  the  chest  is  also  a  factor  in  determining 
lung  capacity. 

The  vital  capacity  is  measured  by  an  individual's 
breathing  into  the  spirometer  after  taking  into  the 
lungs  as  much  air  as  they  will  hold.  The  Measuring 
comparison  of  many  records  taken  in  this  way  the  vital 
shows  that  lung  capacity  depends  much  upon  caPacity- 
the  height,  and  in  men  increases  at  the  rate  of  nine 
cubic  inches  for  every  inch  of  increase  in  height  be- 
tween five  and  six  feet.  It  is  about  175  cubic  inches 
for  a  man  five  feet  in  height,  and  about  285  cubic  inches 
in  men  six  feet  in  height.  The  following  table  shows 
the  normal  capacity  of  the  lungs  for  men  and  women 
of  different  heights. 

TABLE  SHOWING  VITAL  CAPACITY  OF  PERSONS  OF  DIFFERENT 

HEIGHT 


MEN 

TABLE  FOR  WOMEN 

Height  in  inches 

Spirometer  (cu.  in.) 

Height  in  inches 

Spirometer  (cu.  in.) 

72 
71 

28| 
276 

67 

66 

2O4 
I96 

70 

267 

65 

1  88 

69 

258 

64 

1  80 

68 

249 

63 

172 

67 

24O 

62 

164 

66 

231 

61 

156 

65 

222 

60 

148 

64 

2I3 

59 

140 

58 

132 

28  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

The  respiratory  area  or  size  of  the  breathing  appa- 
ratus may  be  permanently  lessened  by  pneumonia, 
tuberculosis,  pleurisy,  and  other  diseases  which  damage 
the  lung  structure.  It  may  also  be  diminished  by  an 
accumulation  of  fat  within  the  chest  and  about  the 
heart.  A  very  fat  person  or  animal  is  always  troubled 
with  shortness  of  breath.  This  is  a  serious  condition 
which  should  be  overcome  whenever  possible. 

No  physical  endowment  is  of  more  importance  for  a 
long  and  vigorous  life  than  capacious  lungs.  In  all 
kinds  of  work,  both  mental  and  physical,  the  lung 
capacity  is  an  important  factor.  The  intensity  and 
efficiency  of  an  individual's  life  depends  very  much 
upon  the  amount  of  air  he  habitually  passes  in  and  out 
of  his  body  ;  just  as  the  intensity  of  a  fire,  given  plenty 
of  fuel,  depends  upon  the  rate  at  which  the  air  is  brought 
in  contact  with  the  fuel. 

It  is  possible,  however,  for  one  to  take  a  large  amount 
of  air  into  the  lungs  and  yet  for  the  body  to  be  deprived 
The  vital  of  oxygen.  The  real  breathing  of  the  body  is 
resistance.  tne  "internal  respiration/5  -the  taking  in  of 
oxygen  by  the  cells.  The  spirometer  measures  the 
capacity  of  the  man  for  taking  air  into  the  lungs  but 
does  not  tell  us  the  capacity  of  the  blood  for  carrying 
the  oxygen  to  the  cells.  This  is  one  of  the  interesting 
things  that  we  may  learn  by  an  examination  of  a  drop 
of  blood  taken  from  the  finger. 

The  percentage  of  hemoglobin  —  the  normal  is  100  - 
indicates  the  richness  of  the  blood  in  coloring  matter, 


THE  VITAL  MACHINERY 


29 


upon  which  depends  the  power  to  carry  oxygen.  A 
person  whose  percentage  of  hemoglobin  is  very  low,  as 
in  the  disease  known  as  ancemia,  is  short  of  breath 
because,  although  he  takes  into  his  lungs  a  sufficient 
amount  of  oxygen,  his  blood  is  not  able  to  absorb  and 


GETTING  A  DROP  OF  BLOOD  TO  SEE  IN  WHAT  CONDITION  THE  BLOOD  CELLS  ARE. 

hold  it ;  so  the  effect  is  the  same  as  if  he  were  breathing 
rarefied  air  or  had  a  considerably  reduced  lung  capacity. 
Under  the  microscope  the  red  and  white  cells  in  the 
drop  of  blood  may  be  counted.  The  red  cells  of  the 
entire  body  normally  number  about  twenty-five  million 
million(  25,000,000,000,000),  and  if  spread  out  on  a  flat 


MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 


of  the 
blood. 


surface  would  cover  an  area  of  14,000  square  feet, 
or  a  space  70  x  200  feet.  The  red  cells  are  the  oxygen 
carriers  of  the  body,  and  it  is  of  great  importance  that 
they  should  not  be  diminished. 

The  white  cells,  as  you  know,  are  the  defenders  of 
the  body.  They  form  a  standing  army  always  on  the 
The  fi  ht  a^ert  to  resist  invasion  from  mischievous  germs 
ing  power  and  ready  to  take  offensive  measures  against 
them.  The  white  cells  also  assist  in  the  heal- 
ing of  wounds  and  repairing  of  tissues.  If 
from  any  cause  the  white  cells  are  so  weakened  or  so 

•  deficient  in  numbers  that 
they  are  powerless  to  over- 
come the  germ  invaders, 
the  body  is  in  great  danger 
from  the  germs  of  malaria, 
tuberculosis,  and  other  in- 
fectious diseases. 

There  are  certain  signs 
by  which  you  may  know 
if  your  vital  resistance  is 
getting  below  normal  : 


BLOOD  CELLS. 

B,  red  cells  seen  from  the  side;  D,  red 
cells  seen  on  edge;  F,G,  white  blood  cells. 


Pimples,  boils,  or  other  eruptions  of  the  skin  are  due  to  germs 
which  have  been  able  to  get  beneath  the  outer  fortification  of 
the  skin  and  gain  a  foothold. 

A  coated  tongue  is  due  to  a  growth  of  germs  upon  it  and  indi- 
cates low  resistance,  even  though  the  body  may  appear  to  be 
vigorous. 

Decay  of  the  teeth  is  also  a  sign  of  lowered  vitality. 


THE  VITAL  MACHINERY  31 

Watch  yourself  for  any  of  these  signs  of  lowered 
resistance,  and,  at  their  first  appearance,  take  measures 
to  increase  your  vital  resistance.  This  may  be  done 
by  means  of  outdoor  life  and  exercise,  cold  baths,  sun 
baths,  swimming,  and  other  similar  measures. 

The  energy  used  in  the  body  has  but  one  source  of 
supply.     It  is  all  maintained  by  the  combustion  of  the 
material  taken  in  as  food,  which  is  burned  or  Measurin 
oxidized  by  the  oxygen  derived  from  the  air.  the  amount 
The  output  of  energy,  therefore,  must  depend  of  fo?d 
upon  the  intake  of  food,  which  serves  the  body 
as  fuel  serves  a  locomotive. 

There  are  two  ways  of  determining  food  value. 
One  method  is  the  percentage  system,  by  which  we  may 
learn,  for  instance,  that  milk  contains  86  per  cent  water, 
4  per  cent  nitrogenous  matter,  5  per  cent  sugar,  4  per 
cent  fat,  and  i  per  cent  mineral  matter.  The  other 
method  determines  the  amount  of  heat  or  energy  pro- 
duced by  a  food  in  the  body.  The  last  method  affords 
the  best  indication  of  the  value  of  a  food  substance  in 
the  body. 

In  order  for  a  definite  value  to  be  placed  on  anything 
there  must  be  a  standard  of  measure  for  it.  We 
measure  cloth  by  the  yard,  potatoes  by  the  peck,  sugar 
by  the  pound,  and  milk  by  the  pint.  But  we  can  not 
measure  heat  by  length  nor  by  weight  nor  by  any  other 
of  our  common  standards  of  measure.  The  only  way 
in  which  we  can  measure  heat  is  by  what  it  can  do. 
The  standard  adopted  is  the  amount  of  heat  required 


32  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

to  raise  the  temperature  of  one  kilogram  of  water  i°  C., 
which  is  the  same  as  to  raise  one  pound  of  water  4°  F. 
This  unit  of  heat  is  called  a  calorie. 

The  number  of  calories  in  a  food  substance  is  deter- 
mined by  means  of  a  heat-measuring  apparatus  called 
the  calorimeter.  The  calorimeter  looks  something  like 
an  ordinary  ice  cream  freezer.  It  has  two  outer  jars, 
one  fitted  within  the  other,  with  a  dead  air  space  be- 
tween. Within  the  inner  jar  is  a  metal  receptacle  con- 
taining a  certain  quantity  of  water.  In  this  receptacle 
is  immersed  the  essential  part  of  the  mechanism,  the 
"bomb,"  a  small,  thick  walled  metal  cell  in  which  is 
placed  the  food  to  be  burned.  The  food,  which  has 
been  perfectly  dried,  is  mixed  with  a  quantity  of  sodium 
peroxide  which  furnishes  oxygen  to  support  the  com- 
bustion. The  inside  of  the  bomb  is  connected  by  wires 
with  a  battery.  When  all  is  in  readiness,  the  tempera- 
ture of  the  water  is  taken,  and  then  the  food  is  ignited 
by  means  of  an  electrical  discharge  from  a  battery. 
The  operator  sits  watching  a  thermometer  which  ex- 
tends down  into  the  water,  an  instrument  so  delicate 
that  it  registers  hundredths  of  a  degree.  He  notes  the 
highest  point  reached  and  deducts  from  this  the  tem- 
perature of  the  water  before  beginning  the  operation. 
From  the  number  of  degrees  increase  in  temperature 
the  number  of  calories  furnished  by  the  food  burned  is 
determined. 

By  means  of  the  calorimeter  it  has  been  found  that 
one  ounce  of  sugar,  one  ounce  of  dry  starch,  and  one 


THE  VITAL  MACHINERY 


33 


ounce  of  dry  protein,  each  produces  about  116  calories. 
Fat,  however,  produces  264  calories  to  the  ounce,  al- 
most two  and  one  fourth  times  as  much  heat  as  either 
protein  or  carbohydrate. 

Almost  all  of  our  common  American  foods  have  been 
examined  in  this  way,  and  their  energy  value  deter- 
mined by  the  United  States  Department  of  Agriculture. 


FOOD  MATERIAL 

WATER 

PROTEIN 

FAT 

CARBOHY- 
DRATE 

ASH 

CALORIES 

Beef,  round  lean   . 
Beef,  round  fat      ... 
Etrers 

64.4 
54.0 

T\  7 

19.5 

17-5 
1^  A. 

7-3 

16.1 

TO  C 



I.O 

.8 

I  O 

670 
1005 
72O 

Eggs,  yolks       .... 
Milk,  whole      .... 
Milk,  skimmed 
Cream     .     .     . 

/  j'  1 

49-5 
87.0 

90.5 

74  O 

*  J  *T 

15-7 

3-3 
3-4 

2  O 

AWO 

33-3 
4.0 

•3 
18  o 

5-o 
5-i 

A   r 

i.i 

•7 

-7 

c 

1  A\J 
1705 
325 
170 

o  jo 

Butter 

/T  ** 

1  1  O 

I  O 

85  o 

^•O 

o 

30 
.u 

^6oc 

Corn  meal    

12  s 

Q  2 

7C  A 

I  O 

JUU3 

i6c  c 

Rolled  oats       .... 
Rice    

*  •"•  j 

7-8 

12  A. 

16.5 
8  o 

•3 
^ 

1  D*T 

66.5 

7Q  O 

i-9 

A 

1U:O 

1850 

1630 

White  flour       .... 
Whole  wheat  flour     .     . 
Dried  beans      .... 
Fresh  string  beans 
Cabbaee 

j.  ^.^. 

13-8 
II.4 
12.6 
89.2 
QI   C 

7-9 

13-8 
22.5 

2-3 
i  6 

•  j 
•4 

•9 

.8 

•3 

i 

17'^ 

76.4 
71.9 
59.6 

74 

r  6 

"1- 

i-5 

I.O 

3-5 
.8 

I  O 

1625 

1675 

1605 

195 

T  A? 

Potatoes 

yL'j 
78  i 

2  2 

•j 

T 

J*u 

18  4 

T  O 

X43 

<?8t: 

Spinach   

/°'j 

Q2  ^ 

2  I 

-7 

-3    2 

2  I 

J0;) 
I  IO 

Apples     .     .     .     . 

y^'j 
84  6 

A 

•J 

r 

J<zr 
T/L  2 

^2 

2OO 

Prunes     

7Q.6 

•4 
Q 

O 

14.  £ 

18  o 

6 

^Vu 
-270 

1  y.\j 

'7 

A«J.y 

J  /w 

It  will  not  help  us  much,  however,  to  know  the 
number  of  calories  in  a  given  food  unless  we  know 
also  the  number  of  calories  required  by  the  human 


34  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

body.  This,  too,  has  been  determined  by  means 
of  a  calorimeter,  which  measures  the  energy  expended 
The  energy  in  mental  and  manual  work,  as  represented 

expended      b       the   heat       iyen    off    frQm    th      fa    j  g 

in  different      /.  .&  .  , 

kinds  of  tnis  means  it  is  possible  to  find  out  what 
work.  food  products  are  the  best  suited  to  workers 
with  brain  or  with  hands. 

In  the  experiment,  a  man  is  shut  up  in  an  hermetically 
(air-tight)  sealed  copper  apparatus,  and  studied  night 
and  day  by  scientists  who  watch  him  through  a  port- 
hole. Oxygen  is  pumped  in  and  impurities  removed 
from  the  air.  Food  is  passed  to  him  through  a  double 
trap  door.  His  only  means  of  communication  with  the 
outside  world  is  by  means  of  a  telephone,  through  which 
he  is  tcld  what  to  do.  Part  of  the  time  he  occupies 
himself  with  brain  work,  and  part  of  the  time  with 
manual  labor.  During  the  entire  time  the  machine  is 
registering  the  energy  expended  under  the  different 
conditions. 

When  this  device  was  invented,  it  marked  a  new  era 
in  the  study  of  food  and  nutrition,  as  a  great  many  dis- 
coveries were  made  by  means  of  it.  The  experimenters 
were  able  to  measure  accurately  the  amount  of  heat  and 
energy  generated  by  foods  of  different  kinds  and  the 
amount  consumed  in  various  conditions  of  work  and 
idleness. 

The  amount  of  food  required  depends  primarily 
upon  the  amount  of  skin  surface,  as  food  is  needed  to 
maintain  animal  heat,  which  is  chiefly  lost  through  the 


THE  VITAL  MACHINERY 


35 


skin.  A  child  has  a  much  larger  skin  surface  in  pro- 
portion to  its  weight  than  has  an  adult.  For  example, 
an  infant  weighing  ten  pounds  has  a  skin  surface  of 
three  square  feet,  while  a  man  weighing  one  hundred 
and  eighty  pounds  —  eighteen  times  as  much  —  has  an 
area  of  twenty-one  square  feet,  only  seven  times  as 
much.  The  child,  therefore,  requires  more  than  twice 
as  much  food  in  proportion  to  its  weight  as  does  the 
adult. 

It  must  be  remembered  that  the  adult  requires  food 
chiefly  to  repair  wastes  and  losses.     Growing  children 
require,  in  addition,  material  for  tissue  build-  The  v 
ing.     It  has  been  estimated  that  the  growing  ing  needs 
infant  uses  fully  one  third  of  its  total  intake  of  of  different 
food  in  tissue  building.     Based  upon  the  care- 
ful studies  of  numerous  investigators  are  the  following 
tables  which  give  the  average  number  of  calories  re- 
quired daily  at  different  ages  and  for  people  of  different 
height  and  weight. 

TABLES  SHOWING  FOR  DIFFERENT  AGES  THE  NORMAL  HEIGHT, 
WEIGHT,  AND  THE  NUMBER  OF  FOOD  UNITS  OR  CALORIES 

REQUIRED  DAILY 

BOYS 


Age 

Height  in  in. 

Weight  in  Ib. 

Calories  or  food  units 

6 

43-75 

45-17 

850 

8 

47.76 

53-92 

980 

10 

51-58 

65.30 

IIOO 

12 

55-n 

76.92 

I25O 

H 

59.88 

94.91 

1470 

MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 


GIRLS 


Age 

Height  in  in. 

Weight  in  Ib. 

Calories  or  food  units 

6 

43-35 

43.28 

830 

8 

47.58 

52.04 

960 

10 

Si-34 

62.35 

IO80 

12 

55-88 

78.31 

1280 

Notice  particularly  in  the  tables  given  below  that 
the  taller  a  man  or  woman  the  more  food  he  or  she  re- 
quires in  order  to  keep  in  health  and  do  the  best 
work: 


MEN 


Height  in  in. 

Weight  in  Ib. 

Calories  or  Food  Units 

Total 

Proteins 

Fats 

Carbohydrates 

61 

131 

197 

591 

II82 

1970 

62 

133 

2OO 

600 

I2OO 

2OOO 

63 

136 

2O4 

612 

1224 

2040 

64 

I4O 

2IO 

630 

I26O 

2IOO 

65 

H3 

215 

645 

I29O 

2I5O 

66 

H7 

221 

663 

1326 

22IO 

67 

I52 

228 

684 

1368 

2280 

68 

157 

236 

708 

1416 

2360 

69 

162 

243 

729 

1458 

2430 

70 

I67 

251 

753 

1506 

2510 

7i 

173 

26O 

780 

1560 

26OO 

72 

179 

269 

807 

1614 

2690 

73 

I85 

278 

834 

1668 

2780 

74 

192 

288 

864 

1728 

2880 

75 

200 

300 

900 

l800 

3000 

THE  VITAL  MACHINERY 


37 


WOMEN 


Height  in  in. 

Weight  in  Ib. 

Calories  or  Food  Units 

Total 

Proteins 

Fats 

Carbohydrates 

59 

119 

179 

537 

1074 

1790 

60 

122 

183 

549 

1098 

1830 

61 

I24 

1  86 

558 

1116 

i860 

62 

127 

191 

573' 

1146 

1910 

63 

131 

197 

59i 

1182 

1970 

•64 

134 

201 

603 

1206 

2OIO 

65 

139 

209 

627 

1254 

2O9O 

66 

H3 

215 

645 

1290 

2I5O 

67 

H7 

221 

663 

1326 

2210 

68 

151 

227 

68  1 

1362 

227O 

69 

155 

232 

696 

1392 

2320 

70 

159 

239 

717 

H34 

2390 

By  a  study  of  these  tables  you  can  find  out  what  are 
the  requirements  for  a  person  of  your  age,  height,  and 
weight.  Knowing  the  number  of  calories  in  the  differ- 
ent foods  and  the  number  that  you  require  daily,  you 
may  fit  the  one  to  the  other  and  arrange  your  bill  of 
fare  in  a  quite  accurate  manner. 

All  the  functions  of  the  body  depend  upon  (i)  a  con- 
tinual building  up  process  from  material  taken  into  the 
body  as  food  and  air  and  (2)  upon  a  breaking  The 
down  process  which  ends  in  the  throwing  out  life 
of  the  body  such  materials  as  can  be  of  no  functions- 
further  use  to  the  organism.     This  building  up  and 
breaking  down  process  is  called  metabolism. 

It  is  possible  to  measure  the  metabolism  of  the  body  in 


38  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

much  the  same  way  as  one  may  measure  the  capacity 
and  efficiency  of  a  furnace.  By  noting  the  quality  and 
amount  of  the  fuel  used  in  feeding  the  furnace  and  then 
determining  the  amount  of  heat,  smoke,  gas,  and  ashes 
produced,  one  may  learn  whether  the  furnace  is  work- 
ing efficiently  and  economically.  In  the  same  way,  the 
efficiency  of  the  body  furnace  may  be  measured  by 
noting  the  intake  of  materials,  and  the  output  in  work, 
heat,  and  waste  products. 

One  way  of  doing  this  is  by  means  of  an  apparatus 

which  estimates  the  amount  of  oxygen  breathed  in  and 

of  carbon  dioxide  breathed  out  during  respira- 

How  to  .  T        i  •  •      •  -11  • 

measure  tion.  In  this  way  it  is  possible  to  determine 
the  rate  just  how  the  body  is  utilizing  the  food  eaten. 
This  respiration  apparatus  consists  of  a  series 
of  bottles  and  instruments  connected  with  each 
other  by  tubing.  The  air  contained  in  this  system  is 
kept  in  continual  circulation  by  means  of  a  centrifugal 
pump  and  electric  motor  placed  upon  the  lower  shelf  of 
the  table.  (See  illustration.)  The  subject  breathes 
from  and  into  this  current  of  air.  The  air  exhaled  is 
immediately  conveyed  to  a  large  bottle  containing 
chemicals  which  have  the  property  of  retaining  all  the 
carbon  dioxide  in  the  air  that  passes  through  it.  This 
bottle,  of  course,  increases  in  weight  with  the  amount 
of  carbon  dioxide  retained  ;  and,  by  weighing  the  bottle 
before  and  after  the  test,  one  can  learn  the  exact  amount 
of  carbon  dioxide  breathed  out.  A  constant  supply  of 
oxygen  is  introduced  into  the  system  from  an  oxygen 


THE  VITAL  MACHINERY  39 

tank  as  fast  as  it  is  used  by  the  subject.  This  oxygen 
is  passed  through  a  delicate  meter  which  accurately 
measures  it.  The  amount  of  oxygen  consumed  shows 
the  amount  of  work  done.  In  this  way  it  is  possible 


MEASURING  THE  RATE  OF  METABOLISM.     CAN  YOU  DESCRIBE  HOW  THE 
TEST  IS  MADE,  AND  TELL  WHAT  IT  SHOWS  ? 

to  find  out  if  the  metabolism  is  perfect  or  if  there  is  any 
disturbance  or  failure  in  the  intricate  life  processes 
whereby  food  is  assimilated  and  utilized. 

We  must  finally  speak  of  something  that  The  mean 
is  much  more  important  than  stature,  weight,  ing  of 
muscular  development,  or  any  specific  physical  human 

,  11       r      i  i  •  r    efficiency. 

endowment,    though  all  of  these   things  of 

which    we    have   been   speaking    have    their  bearing 


4o  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

upon  it.  That  is  efficiency,  —  the  power  to  do  and  to 
keep  on  doing,  in  the  best  possible  way,  all  that  the 
individual  is  capable  of  doing  in  the  way  of  work,  both 
mental  and  physical. 

Efficiency  is  not  the  ability  to  work  by  spurts  and 
spasms,  by  starts  and  stops,  but  the  capacity,  un- 
hampered by  ill  health,  to  get  out  of  yourself  the 
maximum  amount  of  work  with  the  least  wear  and  tear 
on  the  body. 

For  highest  efficiency  the  most  essential  thing  is 
perfect  health  —  health  of  mind  and  body.  A  natural 
Health  the  endowment  of  mental  and  physical  ability  is 
greatest  of  course  necessary  as  a  foundation,  but  ill 
human  health  dulls  the  most  brilliant  intellectual 
efficiency,  faculties,  and  weakens  the  stoutest  muscles, 
while  high  health  sharpens  every  faculty,  gives  poise 
and  concentration,  strengthens  the  will,  brightens  the 
imagination,  and  multiplies  many  times  capacity  and 
endurance  of  both  mind  and  body. 

The  Committee  on  Conservation  of  Natural  Re- 
sources appointed  by  President  Roosevelt  did  not 
neglect  to  consider  the  greatest  of  all  the  national 
assets  —  human  vitality.  This  committee  pointed  out 
the  surprising  fact  that  the  average  man  is  only  fifty 
per  cent  efficient;  that  we  live  out  less  than  one  half  the 
natural  duration  of  life,  that  we  consume  more  food 
than  is  needed  to  maintain  efficient  life,  and  that  one 
half  of  all  human  beings  born  either  die  before  reach- 
ing maturity  or  fall  into  the  defective,  dependent,  or 


THE  VITAL  MACHINERY  41 

delinquent  classes.  Special  study  and  effort  is  now 
being  made  to  prevent  this  terrible  loss  to  the  nation 
in  human  vitality  and  efficiency  by  the  study  of  methods 
of  race  betterment. 

Efficiency  is  not  only  the  greatest  national  asset,  but 
the  greatest  personal  asset  as  well.  The  ability  to  do 
and  to  endure,  to  keep  on  doing  what  one  finds  prof- 
itable, useful,  and  agreeable,  is  the  very  essence  of 
personal,  social,  and  national  well  being. 

The  keynote  of  this  progressive  age  is  efficiency. 
Statesmen,  professional  men,  business  men,  leaders  in 
industry  and  politics,  and  workers  of  all  classes  are 
asking,  how  can  I  increase  my  efficiency  ?  Merely 
to  exist  is  not  sufficient  for  the  cultivated,  up-to-date 
human  being.  To  be  worth  while,  life  must  be  efficient, 
forceful,  productive.  The  ambition  to  lead  a  forceful, 
useful  life,  to  make  the  most  of  one's  faculties  and 
opportunities,  is  the  first  step  in  the  attainment  of  a  high 
degree  of  efficiency.  Weakness  of  body  or  mind,  — 
lassitude,  lack  of  brightness  and  energy,  —  merely  to  be 
"below  par"  and  to  that  extent  inefficient,  is  disgusting 
to  a  bright  modern  man.  He  is  not  content  with  living 
a  half  life.  He  wants  to  live  on  the  highest  plane 
physically,  on  the  top  floor  and  not  in  the  basement, 
—  to  be  a  one  hundred  per  cent  man,  instead  of  the 
average  fifty  per  cent  man.  In  these  times,  any  person 
ought  to  feel  humiliated  when  he  is  incapacitated  by 
disease  which  his  own  intelligent  care  could  have 
prevented. 


42  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

HEALTH  PROBLEMS 

1.  Can  you  think  of  anything  that  works  as  regularly    and 
faithfully  as  the  heart  ?     If  so,  what  ? 

2.  Have  you  ever  heard  of  an  athlete  who  injured  his  heart  ? 
If  so,  how  did  he  do  it  ? 

3.  How  does  the  heart  act  when  you  jump  into  a  cold  bath 
or  pour  cold  water  over  the  body  ?     Why  ? 

4.  Suppose  you  had  to  go  one  mile  on  foot  as  quickly  as  possible. 
Would  it  be  best  to  start  off  running  as  fast  as  you  could,  or  to 
start  slowly  and  increase  your  rate  of  speed  gradually  ?     Why  ? 

5.  Do  you  know  whether  the  heart  wears  out  sooner  in  very 
tall  than  in  short  men  ?     Ask  your  physician  this  question  and 
give  the  class  his  answer. 

6.  Why  should  overeating  lead  to  hardening  of  the  arteries  ? 
Ask  your  physician  whether  hardening  of  the  arteries  is  a  disease 
found  among  the  rich  or  mainly  among  the  poor.     Explain. 

7.  What  is  your  vital  capacity  ?     Compare  your  capacity  with 
that  of  others  of  your  age.     If  you  are  above  or  below  the  average, 
try  to  explain. 

8.  Why  should  tall  men  have  greater  vital  capacity  than  short 
ones  ? 

9.  Do  you  know  persons  who  are  troubled  with  "shortness  of 
breath"  ?     What  is  the  cause  of  this  ? 

10.  Suggest  simple  but  effective  means  for  increasing  the  vital 
capacity. 

11.  Mention  habits  of  life  which  will  reduce  vital  capacity. 
Explain. 

12.  Show  that  the  efficiency  of  one's  life  depends  to  a  large 
degree  upon  his  vital  capacity. 

13.  Can   you   tell   a   person   who   is  suffering  from  anaemia? 
Explain. 

14.  How  large  a  schoolyard  should  you  have  if  you  had  one 
containing  40,000  square  feet  ?     Should  you  have  guessed  that 


THE  VITAL  MACHINERY  43 

the  red  blood  cells  in  all  the  body  would  cover  this  yard  if  they 
were  spread  out  flat  ? 

15.  Have  you  noticed  that  your  vital  resistance  is  not  as  great 
at  certain  times  as  at  other  times  ?     Explain. 

»  16.  Do  you  think  most  people  should  eat  as  much  on  Sunday 
and  holidays  as  on  work  days  ?  Why  ?  Should  people  who  live 
in  the  city  and  who  do  not  work  with  their  muscles  eat  as  much 
as  those  who  do  hard  work  in  the  country  ?  Explain. 

17.  Write  an  essay  on  this  theme:    "Inefficiency  as  the  Chief 
Cause  of  Unhappiness." 

1 8.  Pick  out  the  most  efficient  person  you  know  and  say  just 
why  he  or  she  is  efficient. 

REVIEW  QUESTIONS 

1.  What  causes  the  pulse  to  beat?     Upon  what  does  the  fre- 
quency of  its  beating  depend  ? 

2.  What  effect  does  exercise  have  upon  heart  action  ? 

3.  Explain  what  is  meant  by  blood  pressure.     How  may  the 
blood  pressure  be  taken  ?     Upon  what  does  blood  pressure  depend  ? 

4.  Describe  the  walls  of  the  arteries  and  explain  why  they 
should  be  elastic. 

5.  When  does  the  blood  pressure  sink  below  normal?     When 
does  it  rise  very  high  above  normal  ? 

6.  Why  is  it  essential  that  the  blood  pressure  should  be  normal  ? 

7.  What  is  meant  by  hardening  of  the  arteries  ?     What  is  the 
effect  of  hardening  of  the  arteries  upon  the  heart  ? 

8.  What  is  meant  by  one's  vital  capacity  ?     What  instrument 
is  used  for  measuring  vital  capacity  ? 

9.  How  is  it  possible  for  one  to  breathe  in  a  large  amount  of 
air  and  yet  for  the  body  not  to  have  enough  oxygen  ? 

10.  How  can  one  tell  whether  his  blood  carries  enough  oxygen  ? 

11.  Of  what  use  are  the  red  cells  in  the  blood  ? 

12.  Describe  the  work  of  the  white  cells. 


44  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

13.  What  is  meant  by  vital  resistance? 

14.  How  can  you  tell  when  your  vital   resistance  is  getting 
below  normal  ?     By  what  measures  may  a  person  increase  his 
vital  resistance  ? 

15.  What  is  meant  by  the  caloric  method  of  measuring  food 
values  ? 

16.  Why  does  a  growing  child  need  more  food  in  proportion 
to  its  weight  than  a  man  does  ? 

17.  What  is  the  process  of  metabolism?     When  is  one's  metab- 
olism said  to  be  perfect  ? 

1 8.  What  do  you  mean  by  efficiency?     Why  should  one  strive 
for  it  ? 

19.  Mention  some  habits  which  increase  efficiency.     Mention 
some  which  lessen  it. 


CHAPTER   III 


THE  VALUE  OF  A  LIFE 

THERE  is  a  certain  class  of  people  in  the  South  known 
as  "poor  whites,"  noted  for  their  shiftlessness  and 
indolence.  These  are  all  native-born 
Americans.  Many  of  their  ancestors 
were  of  Anglo-Saxon  stock,  which  has 
been  called  "the  flower  of  the  race." 
Why  have  they  degenerated  into  this 
condition  of  indolence,  shiftlessness,  and 
poverty  ? 

A  few  years  ago  the  cause  was  dis- 
covered, and  it  was  found  to  be  chiefly 
a  matter  of  ill  health.     A  tiny  One  cause 
parasite,  less  than  half  an  inch  of  shift- 
long  and  no  thicker  than  a  piece  lessness- 
of  sewing  thread,  was  the  cause  of  all 
the  trouble.     This  little  hookworm  has 
been  called  "the  vampire  of  the  South," 
because   it    sucks   the   lifeblood  of  the 
people.     As  we  have  learned,  it  burrows 
through  the  skin,  finds  its  way  to  the  intestines,  hooks 
itself  on  to  the  intestinal  wall,  and  slowly  drains  the 

45 


HOW    THE    HOOK- 
WORM    DEVELOPS. 

—7,  segmentation 
of  the  egg  ;  8— 10, 
the  embryo;  11, 
the  worm  escap- 
ing  from  the 
shell  ;  12-13, 
empty  shells. 


46  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

blood  of  its  victim.  It  takes  away  from  a  person  all 
desire  and  ability  to  work  and  makes  him  "feel  tired  all 
the  time." 

Besides  afflicting  two  million  people  with  a  dreadful 
chronic  disease  and  slaughtering  thousands  of  children, 
this  tiny  parasite  has,  it  is  estimated,  cost  the  South 
several  hundred  million  dollars  by  retarding  the  devel- 
opment of  agriculture  and  industry. 

And  yet,  amazing  as  the  statement  may  seem,  every 
victim  of  hookworm  disease  may  be  completely  cured 
at  a  cost  of  only  sixty  cents  each,  and  the  disease  may 
be  entirely  prevented  by  the  most  simple  precautions. 
Some  one  has  put  it  in  this  way :  "  If  you  owned  a 
machine  that  ought  to  earn  $300  a  year  and  it  was 
earning  only  $100  and  you  could  restore  the  proper 
earning  power  by  an  expenditure  of  sixty  cents,  could 
there  be  a  better  investment  for  your  money  ?" 

A  sixteen-year  old  boy  was  so  weakened  by  hook- 
worm disease  that  he  was  scarcely  able  to  do  two  days 
work  a  week.  He  was  treated,  and  the  hookworms 
expelled  from  his  body.  During  the  next  five  weeks  he 
gained  seventeen  and  a  half  pounds  in  weight  while  he 
was  working  six  days  each  week. 

This  is  only  one  striking  example  of  the  needless  waste 
of  human  life  that  is  going  on  in  the  United  States. 
What  does  this  show  us  with  regard  to  the  relation  of 
health  to  prosperity  and  success  ? 

When  the  National  Conservation  Committee  began 
to  investigate  the  resources  of  the  country,  letters 


THE  VALUE  OF  A  LIFE  47 

were    received    from    physicians    everywhere    urging 
it  to  consider  the  bearing  of  public  health  upon  the 

efficiency  of  the  nation.     The  need  of  conserv-  . 

r   i  i      r  The  ec°- 

mg  the  resources  ol  the  country  —  the  forests,  nomic 

coal  fields,  water  power,  and  lands  —  was  well  valueof 

.      jo  i--          •  i  health. 

recognized.      But    up    to   this    time   human 
vitality,  the  life  and  health  of  the  people,  had  not  been 
reckoned  as  one  of  the  national  assets. 

The  conservation  of  health  means  increased  pros- 
perity and  happiness.  It  means,  as  we  have  seen,  the 
ability  to  do  more  work  and  to  do  it  better.  Every 
person  of  sound  mind  and  body  is  of  value  to  the  state. 
Every  case  of  illness  or  early  death  is  a  loss  to  the 
community. 

The  requests  made  by  the  physicians  led  to  an  in- 
quiry concerning  not  only  the  duration  but  also  the 
effectiveness  of  human  life.  A  special  committee  headed 
by  Professor  Irving  Fisher  of  Yale  University  was  ap- 
pointed to  make  this  special  investigation.  Here  are 
some  of  the  things  that  were  revealed  by  the  investi- 
gation : 

Besides  the  1,500,000  deaths  that  occur  in  this 
country  annually  (half  of  which  are  needless)  there  are 
3,000,000  persons  constantly  on  the  sick  list.  The  time 
lost  in  this  way  amounts  to  thirteen  days,  nearly  two 
weeks,  for  every  man,  woman,  and  child  in  the  United 
States.  At  least  half  of  this  sickness  and  loss  of  time  is 
needless. 

Tuberculosis,    a    preventable    disease,    carries    off 


48  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

133,000  persons  every  year.  The  cost  of  medical  at- 
tendance and  the  loss  of  earnings  before  death  aver- 
age at  least  $2400,  while,  if  to  this  is  added  the  money 
that  might  have  been  earned  with  health,  the  total 
loss  in  each  case  is  about  $8000. 

The  loss  to  the  country  in  a  single  year  through 
typhoid  fever,  a  disease  easily  preventable,  is  more 
than  $350,000,000. 

The  value  of  human  life  can  not,  of  course,  be  meas- 
ured in  dollars  and  cents.  And  yet,  with  many  people 
The  com-  in  this  commercial  country,  that  is  the  only 
merciai  measurement  that  counts.  It  was  a  new  idea 

value  of 

human  life,  to  most  people  that  human  life  had  a  commer- 
cial value  and  that  health  was  a  factor  in  determining 
the  wealth  of  the  nation.  The  publication  of  these 
figures  resulted  in  a  great  awakening  to  the  importance 
of  improving  human  health. 

The  value  of  a  man  to  his  community  and  to  the 
nation  is  determined  by  what  he  can  do ;  and  his  out- 
put of  work,  physical  or  mental,  depends  very  much 
upon  the  condition  of  his  health.  Centuries  ago  Eng- 
land's great  philosopher,  Francis  Bacon,  said  :  "The 
public  health  is  the  foundation  on  which  reposes  .  .  . 
the  power  of  the  country." 

Much  attention  has  of  late  been  given  to  improv- 
ing all  kinds  of  domestic  animals.  Draught  horses 
have  increased  in  strength,  and  race  horses  in  speed. 
Cows  give  more  milk  than  formerly,  pigs  are  bigger  and 
fatter,  sheep  produce  wool  in  finer  quality  and  larger 


THE  VALUE  OF  A  LIFE  49 

quantities,  chickens  lay  more  eggs,  and  so  on.  At  the 
same  time  it  is  to  be  feared  that  the  human  race  is 
going  downhill  physically. 

In  one  of  the  states  there  is  a  law  requiring  the 
dairymen  to  sterilize  the  skimmed  milk  that  is  fed  to 
hogs.  Before  this  was  done,  many  hogs  became  tuber- 
culous through  infection  by  drinking  the  milk  from  cows 
suffering  from  tuberculosis.  The  result  was  great  loss 
to  the  farmers.  Now  the  hogs  are  safe,  but  strange  to 
say,  nothing  has  been  done  to  protect  the  babies  of  the 
same  state  who  are  being  fed  the  same  sort  of  milk,  or  the 
men,  women,  and  children  who  eat  the  cream  and  butter 
from  the  same  milk  which  proved  so  deadly  to  the  hogs 
that  it  was  necessary  to  sterilize  it.  Should  not  the 
laws  give  babies  as  good  protection  as  pigs  ? 

The  great  educator,  Herbert  Spencer,  said  that  to  be 
a  "good  animal"  is  the  first  requisite  to  success.  To  be 
a  nation  of  good  animals  is  the  first  condition  of  national 
prosperity.  Is  the  average  American  citizen  a  "good 
animal"  ?  What  is  meant  by  a  "good  animal"  ? 

In  gathering  the  material  for  his  report  Professor 
Fisher  made  a  very  extended  research.  He  thus  states 
the  results  of  his  important  investigation :  —  "I 

,  .      .  .      "Minor 

have  come  to  the  conclusion   that  there  is  agents" 

scarcely  a  well  man  or  woman  in  this  country  prevent 

after  the  age  of  forty.     I  mean  ideally  well. 

If  you  ask  people  if  they  are  well,  they  will 

say,  'Yes,  I  am  pretty  well.'     But  if  you  ask  them  if 

they  have  sound  teeth,  if  they  have  indigestion,  if  they 


50  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

ever  catch  cold,  if  they  are  troubled  with  rheumatism 
or  neuralgia,  or  any  of  the  so-called  minor  ailments, 
they  will  confess,  'Oh,  yes,  I  have  a  little  trouble  with 
the  heart;'  'My  liver  sometimes  makes  me  bilious;' 
'I  have  a  tendency  to  bronchitis;'  'I  catch  cold  fre- 
quently during  winter  ;'  '  My  kidneys  do  not  always  act 
properly  ;'  'I  am  subject  to  sick  headaches,'  and  so  on." 

If  all  these  "minor  ailments"  were  eliminated,  as 
they  might  be  by  healthful  living,  and  all  needless  sick- 
ness prevented,  the  efficiency  of  human  life  would  be 
more  than  doubled.  Life  would  be  not  only  longer,  but 
much  fuller.  People  would  live  more  while  they  did 
live  —  put  into  life  the  full  measure  of  work  and  en- 
joyment. More  abundant  life  would  result  in  greatly 
increased  daily  activity.  The  ideal  life  is  not  merely 
one  that  rounds  out  the  allotted  span  of  threescore  and 
ten  years,  but  one  that  is  able  to  do  its  full  measure  of 
the  world's  work  and  claim  its  full  share  of  the  joy 
of  living. 

Very  recently,  a  series  of  investigations  has  been 
made  by  the  Life  Extension  Institute  of  New  York 
City  among  various  classes  of  business  men  all  of  whom 
were  supposed  to  be  in  good  health,  and  the  majority 
of  whom  were  under  thirty-five  years  of  age.  The  re- 
sults were  truly  astonishing.  Less  than  ten  per  cent 
were  found  to  possess  even  fairly  good  health.  All  the 
rest  showed  very  marked  evidence  of  disease,  and  more 
than  one  fourth  had  really  serious  trouble  of  heart, 
lungs,  or  kidneys. 


THE  VALUE  OF  A  LIFE  51 

It  is  a  very  old  adage  that  "each  mouth  has  a  pair 
of  hands  to  feed  it."     But  there  are  three  classes  of 
people  whose  hands  are  not  able  to  feed  them.  The 
You  can  tell  who  these  are  —  the  young,  the  Of  those 
sick,  and  the  old.     These  must  be  fed  by  the  who  can 
work  of  other  hands.     The  hands  of  those  that 
can  work  must  feed  not  themselves  only  but  those  who 
can  not  feed  themselves,  thus  paying  the  debt  for  their 
own  unproductive  period. 

Life  is  divided  into  three  periods :  the  period  of 
preparation,  the  period  of  work,  and  the  period  of  rest 
and  recreation.  Most  of  the  first  twenty  to  twenty- 
five  years  of  life  are  spent  in  preparation  for  work. 
When  young  men  and  women  are  cut  off  or  incapaci- 
tated by  disease  just  as  they  are  beginning  to  do  use- 
ful work,  the  community  is  robbed  of  their  contribution 
to  the  general  welfare.  Do  you  think  we  owe  it  to 
others  to  keep  ourselves  as  healthy  as  possible  so  that 
we  may  contribute  our  full  share  to  the  public  good  ? 

In  a  community  where  the  average  length  of  life  is 
short,  there  are  more  children  than  adults  —  that  is, 
there  are  more  mouths  than  there  are  hands  Theneces. 
to  feed  them.     Where  the  average  of  life  is  sity  of  in- 
long  there  is  a  larger  proportion- of  workers  c 
,         r  ,  11-          i  t* 

than  of  dependents,  and  this  results  in  greater  Of  the 

prosperity    and    progress.     Lengthening    the  period  of 
average  human  life,  a  thing  which  is  being  work' 
done,  as  we  have  seen,  by  means  of  hygiene,  increases 
the  productive  period. 


52  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

Following  the  period  of  work  comes  the  usually  idle 
period  of  old  age.  Some  countries  —  Germany,  Eng- 
land, France,  Denmark  —  provide  "old-age  pensions" 
for  those  unfitted  for  work  by  age,  and  having  no 
means  of  support.  This  is  a  serious  burden  on  the 
community.  But  Professor  Metchnikoff,  who  has  for 
many  years  made  a  special  study  of  the  causes  which 
produce  the  changes  incident  to  old  age,  says:  "We 
may  predict  that  when  knowledge  of  hygiene  is  more 
advanced,  human  life  will  become  much  more  important 
than  it  is  to-day."  Especially  in  the  aged  will  this 
result  be  seen.  "Old  age,"  he  says,  "at  present  a 
.  .  .  burden  on  the  community,  will  become  a  period 
of  work  valuable  to  the  community.  As  the  old  man 
will  no  longer  be  subject  to  loss  of  memory  or  to  intel- 
lectual weakness,  he  will  be  able  to  apply  his  great 
experience  to  the  most  complicated  and  the  most  deli- 
cate parts  of  the  social  life." 

Man  has  been  called  "an  Intelligence  served  by 
organs."  The  "master  tissues"  are  the  nervous 
The  system  and  the  muscles  under  control  of  the 

"ruling  will.  These  constitute  the  man,  because  it  is 
powers "  kv  them  that  all  the  acts  of  life  are  performed 
^servant  and  because  a  man  is  known  by  what  he  does, 
classes"  In  that  wonderful  nerve  dynamo,  the  brain, 
of  the  body.  j(jeag  an(j  pians  are  formed.  The  muscles 

carry  out  the  purpose  formed  in  the  brain,  and  the 
man  does  something. 

The  other  organs  might  be  called  the  "  servant  classes" 


THE  VALUE  OF  A  UFE 


53 


of  the  body.  The  amount  and  quality  of  the  work  that 
the  "master  tissues"  are  able  to  accomplish  depends 
very  much  upon  the  way 
in  which  they  are  aided  by 
these  "servant  classes." 

"A  good  master  makes  a 
good  servant."  If  the  serv- 
ant organs  are  well  treated 
by  the  master  tissues,  they 
will  do  perfect  work  and 
there  will  be  no  strikes  nor 
rebellions  in  the  body  com- 
munity. But  if  the  ruling 
powers  abuse  or  oppress  the 
servant  classes,  they  will 
bring  trouble  upon  them- 
selves. If  a  person  over- 
loads the  digestive  organs  or 
overworks  them  by  eating 
indigestible  food,  if  he  over- 
taxes the  eliminative  organs, 
if  by  lack  of  exercise  he 
weakens  the  circulatory  sys- 
tem, he  will  soon  find  him- 
self hampered  by  inability 
to  think  clearly,  to  move 
quickly,  to  work  vigorously. 

The  keen  competition  of  our  modern  life  compels 
the  man  who  wishes  to  succeed  to  live  at  his  best, 


THE 


GENERAL  DISTRIBUTION  OF 
NERVES  FROM  THE  BRAIN  AND 
SPINAL  COLUMN  TO  ALL  PARTS  OF 
THE  BODY. 


54  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

to  keep  all  his  organs  in  condition  to  do  him  the 
best  service,  so  that  his  output  of  work  may  not 
be  inferior,  in  either  quantity  or  quality,  to  that 
of  his  competitors. 

It  is  also  necessary  that  the  proper  balance  should 
be  kept  between  the  master  tissues,  that  neither  the 
nervous  system  nor  the  muscular  system  should  pre- 
dominate, but  that  the  work  should  be  properly  dis- 
tributed between  them. 

A  combination  of  brain  work  and  muscular  work  is 
necessary  to  keep  man  healthy  and  happy.  Our 
Brain  work  niodern  artificial  life  often  condemns  one  man 
andmuscu-  to  do  brain  work  altogether  and  another  man 
lar  work.  to  (JQ  physicai  work  altogether,  and  so  it  de- 
stroys the  proper  balance  for  both.  The  result  of  this 
is  that,  as  John  Ruskin  says,  "Society  is  made  up  of 
morbid  thinkers  and  miserable  workers."  Things  need 
to  be  evened  up.  The  workman  needs  to  think,  and 
the  thinker  to  work,  because  "It  is  only  by  labor  that 
thought  can  be  made  healthy,  and  only  by  thought 
that  labor  can  be  made  happy  ;  and  the  two  cannot  be 
separated  with  impunity/' 

Not  only  the  worker  but  the  work  also  suffers  by  this 
unnatural  division.  The  efficiency  of  the  brain  worker 
is  greatly  increased  when  he  does  his  share  of  physical 
work. 

Count  Tolstoy,  who  was  a  great  worker,  both  physi- 
cal and  mental,  said  :  "Sedentary  intellectual  work 
without  physical  exercise  and  labor  is  a  real  calamity. 


THE  VALUE  OF  A  LIFE  55 

If  for  a  single  day  I  do  not  walk,  or  work  with  my 
legs  and  hands,  I  am  good  for  nothing  by  evening. 
I  can't  read  or  write,  or  even  listen  to  any  one  with 
attention." 

The  efficiency  of  the  laborer  is  also  greatly  increased 
when  his  intelligence  is  developed  by  a  certain  amount 
of  brain  work. 

A  college  graduate  who  was  in  need  of  immediate 
work  was  put  in  charge  of  a  gang  of  men  who  were 
shoveling  dirt  in  some  building  operations.  He  saw 
that  they  were  not  putting  much  mind  into  their  work, 
just  sticking  in  the  shovel  and  throwing  out  the  dirt, 
and  making  in  the  process  "false  motions"  that  wasted 
both  time  and  energy.  He  took  a  shovel  and  began  to 
experiment,  finding  out  how  the  work  could  be  done  in 
the  least  time  and  with  the  fewest  motions.  He  then 
instructed  the  men  to  follow  his  example,  with  the  re- 
sult that  the  work  was  done  in  half  the  time  that  it  had 
formerly  taken.  By  putting  intelligence  into  the  work 
of  shoveling  dirt,  he  had  doubled  the  efficiency  of  the 
workers. 

Another  important  point  for  one  who  wants  to  get 
the  most  out  of  life  unhampered  by  illness  is  to  keep  up 
the  vital  resistance.     Before  the  cause  of  yel-  Keeping  up 
low  fever  was  discovered,  Dr.  Sternberg,  of  vital  re- 
Washington,  went  to  New  Orleans  toinvesti-  sistance- 
gate.     He  tested,  among  other  things,  the  air  from  the 
streets,  the  dust  of  the  city,  the  water,  hunting  for  the 
yellow  fever  germ.     When  he  got  home,   in   experi- 


56  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

menting  with  some  of  the  germs  collected,  he  happened 
to  use  some  saliva  from  his  own  mouth,  putting  it  in  a 
test  tube  with  some  beef  tea,  and  allowing  it  to  remain 
overnight.  He  found  that  what  developed  would  kill 
guinea  pigs.  Dr.  Sternberg  then  thought  that  he  must 
have  got  some  disease  germs  in  New  Orleans  and  have 
had  a  narrow  escape  from  death  himself.  He  found, 
however,  that  when  he  tested  the  saliva  of  persons  in 
Washington  who  had  never  been  to  New  Orleans,  he 
got  just  the  same  results.  In  every  person's  mouth 
are  germs  which,  if  allowed  to  grow  and  develop,  are 
capable  of  destroying  life. 

The  germs  of  pneumonia,  tonsillitis,  and  some  other 
diseases  are  always  with  us,  ready  for  opportunity  to 
attack.  Riding  on  the  cars  across  the  Western  prairies 
years  ago,  I  saw  a  picture  I  shall  never  forget.  I  saw  a 
miserable  cow,  nothing  but  skin  and  bone,  staggering 
along,  almost  too  weak  to  walk.  A  hawk  was  perched 
upon  her  back  picking  her  bones.  She  had  lost  the 
power  to  resist. 

You  see,  keeping  up  vital  resistance  is  one  of  the 
most  important  things  of  life.  Without  that  power, 
one  is  liable  to  become  a  miserable  body  with  a  wretched 
mind.  The  daily  cold  rub,  physical  exercise,  and  other 
health  habits  that  keep  the  body  in  good  condition  are 
often  neglected  because  of  inconvenience  or  lack  of  time. 
In  the  end  this  neglect  is  likely  to  result  in  much  greater 
inconvenience  and  the  loss  of  much  more  time  through 
illness. 


THE  VALUE  OF  A  LIFE  57 

We  have  some  good  examples  of  how  much  may  be 
done  for  the  world  by  one  who  intelligently  Examples 
obeys  these  laws.     Let  us  consider  here  one  of  right 
or  two  men  who  have  done  this.  vmg* 

Captain  John  Ericsson,  the  Swedish-American  naval 
engineer,  not  only  was  remarkable  for  the  numerous 

useful  and  wonderful  inventions  which  remain  . 

i  •      1  -11    i  11     Ericsson 

as  monuments  to  his  skill,  but  was  equally  an  example 

distinguished  for  the  fact  that  in  his  long,  ofng^t 
busy  life  of  eighty-five  years  until  his  last  ill- 
ness he  never  had  a  day  s  sickness. 

From  early  boyhood  John  Ericsson  was  a  great 
worker.  At  the  age  of  ten  he  constructed  a  pump  which 
attracted  the  attention  of  Count  von  Platen,  the  first 
promoter  of  the  Gotha  Canal.  At  twelve  he  became 
connected  as  draughtsman  with  the  corps  of  engineers 
employed  in  the  construction  of  this  canal.  At  seven- 
teen he  joined  the  army ;  and,  because  his  drawings 
and  military  maps  attracted  the  attention  of  the  king, 
he  was  made  a  captain.  •  At  twenty-three  he  left  his 
fatherland  and  went  to  London  to  introduce  a  locomo- 
tive of  his  invention.  Three  years  later  he  competed 
with  George  Stephenson  for  the  prize  offered  for  the 
best  locomotive.  Although  he  did  not  win  the  prize, 
his  locomotive,  "Novelty,"  constructed  in  seven  weeks' 
time,  surpassed  all  others  in  speed.  Among  his  im- 
portant inventions  are  a  steam  apparatus  for  throwing 
water,  the  screw  propeller,  and  the  caloric  (hot-air) 
engine. 


MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 


Strict  attention  to  the  laws  of  hygiene  seems  to  have 
been  the  secret  of  Captain  Ericsson's  remarkably 
healthy  life  in  which  he  was  able  to  accomplish  so 
much.  He  never  neglected  exercise.  This  he  ob- 

tained partly  by 
means  of  gymnastics 
at  his  home  immedi- 
ately after  rising  in 
the  morning,  in  con- 
nection with  a  cold 
bath,  and  by  a  walk 
in  the  open  air  in  the 
evening.  His  diet 
consisted  of  simple, 
easily  digested  food 
taken  at  regular 
hours.  He  never  ate 
suppers.  He  never 
let  tobacco  and  in- 
toxicants pass  his 
lips. 

John  Wesley  was 
another  of  the  world's 
great  workers 

equally  noted  for  his  good  health.  It  has  been  said  of 
Wesley  a  his  journal  that  it  is  "the  most  amazing  rec- 
great  ord  of  human  exertion  ever  penned  by  man." 
"On  horseback  he  traveled  more  miles,  spoke 
oftener  and  to  more  people,  than  any  other  man  who 


JOHN  WESLEY. 


THE  VALUE  OF  A  LIFE  59 

ever  lived."  "Eight  thousand  miles  was  his  annual 
record  for  many  a  long  year,  during  each  of  which  he 
seldom  preached  less  frequently  than  5000  times." 
On  one  occasion  his  friends  urged  him  to  reduce  his 
labors,  as  they  were  afraid  his  health  would  be  injured 
by  so  much  work.  To  please  them  he  reduced  his 
speaking  to  three  times  every  day  in  the  week  and 
five  times  on  Sunday.  So  far  were  his  excessive  labors 
from  injuring  him  that  at  eighty  he  writes.  "I  find  no 
more  pain  or  bodily  infirmities  than  at  twenty-five." 
This  he  attributes  partly  "to  my  still  traveling  four 
or  five  thousand  miles  (a  year),  and  to  my  constant 
preaching." 

John  Wesley  was  a  great  advocate  of  healthful  living. 
He  wrote  a  book  on  health  in  an  age  when  hygiene 
was  almost  entirely  ignored.  That  he  was  extremely 
simple  in  his  personal  habits  and  allowed  himself  no 
luxuries  we  may  judge  from  the  fact  that  he  lived  on 
twenty-eight  pounds  ($140)  a  year  and  gave  away  the 
rest  of  his  income  in  charity.  He  was  accustomed  to 
rise  at  four  in  the  morning  and  to  fill  the  day  with  work. 
He  tells  us  of  one  of  his  early  habits  which  doubtless 
helped  to  lay  the  good  physical  foundation  for  the 
busy  life  which  he  afterwards  led.  For  six  years  he  was 
a  pupil  at  the  Charterhouse,  a  school  in  London. 
During  all  this  time  he  was  accustomed  to  run  three 
times  around  Charterhouse  Square  every  morning 
before  breakfast.  By  request,  a  friend  measured 
for  us  the  distance  around  Charterhouse  Square  and 


6o  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

reports  it  to  be  445  yards,  or  a  little  more  than  a  quar- 
ter of  a  mile.  Three  times  around  the  square  would 
be  more  than  three  quarters  of  a  mile.  A  vigorous  run 
of  three  quarters  of  a  mile,  if  taken  regularly  every 
morning  for  six  months,  would  convert  many  a  pale, 
puny,  listless  schoolboy  or  girl  into  a  rosy-cheeked, 
bright-eyed,  vigorous  youth  or  maiden. 

HEALTH  PROBLEMS 

1.  What  is  the  relation  between  public  health  and  national 
prosperity  ? 

2.  What  does  "national  conservation"  mean?     Find  out  what 
resources  the  United  States  has  taken  steps  to  conserve  and  tell 
about  them. 

3.  Get  a  report  from    the   health   officer   of  the   number   of 
deaths  in  your  city  for  the  past  year.     What  disease  has  caused 
the  greatest  number  of  deaths  ?     How  much  of  this  sickness  do 
you  think  could  have  been  prevented  ? 

4.  Make  a  list  of  things  which  a  community  should  do  to  pre- 
serve public  health  and  check  those  which  your  community  is 
doing  now. 

5.  Explain  Herbert  Spencer's  saying  that  to  be  a  success  a 
man  must  first  be  a  good  animal. 

6.  How  many  days  in  the  year  are  you  compelled  to  stay  out 
of  school  on  account  of  colds  and  other   sickness  ?     How   could 
much  of  this  be  prevented  ? 

7.  What  would  happen  if  the  employers  in  your  community 
should  overwork  and  ill-treat  their  workers  ?     Might  something 
like  this  happen  in  the  body  if  the  organs  are  ill-treated  ? 

8.  Write  the  story  of  some  successful  man  you  know  who  was 
also  noted  for  his  health,  telling  especially  about  his   habits   ol 
living. 


THE  VALUE  OF  A  LIFE  61 

9.  Do  you  know  any  person  of  seventy  or  thereabouts  who  is 
still  vigorous  and  active  ?     What  habits  have  kept  him  so  ? 

REVIEW  QUESTIONS 

1.  What  is  the  "vampire  of  the  South"  ?     Why  is  it  so  called  ? 

2.  Explain  the  phrase  "national  asset."     Is  the  health  of  the 
people  a  real  national  asset  ? 

3.  Mention  some  laws  by  which  the  United  States  is  trying 
to  conserve  the  health  of  the  people. 

4.  What  did  Professor  Fisher  find  in  his  investigations  of  the 
health  of  the  American  people  ? 

5.  Name  the  three  classes  of  people  whose  hands  are  not  able 
to  feed  them. 

6.  What  proportion  of  the  people  in  your  community  are  in 
the  period  of  preparation  ?     The  period  of  work  ?     The  period  of 
rest  ? 

7.  How  long  do  you  think  the  period  of  work  or  production 
should  be  ? 

8.  Name  some  habits  which  lengthen  this  period. 

9.  Name  some  which  shorten  this  period. 

10.  Why  is  a  country  where  the  average  life  is  short  not  as 
prosperous  as  one  where  the  average  life  is  long  ? 

11.  Is   the  average  working  life  getting  longer  or  shorter? 
Why? 

12.  What  are  the  "master  tissues"  of  the  body? 

13.  Show  how  the  "master  tissues"  can  overwork  the  "servant 
tissues." 

14.  If  the  digestive  organs  were  overworked,  how  would  the 
whole  body  be  affected  ? 

15.  Which  of  the  "master  tissues"  should  predominate  —  the 
"muscular  system"  or  the  "nervous  system"  ?     Why  ? 

1 6.  How  did  the  college  graduate  double  the  efficiency  of  his 
workmen  ?     What  lesson  does  this  teach  ? 


62  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

17.  What  part  does  vital  resistance  play  in  keeping  us  safe  from 
illness  ? 

1 8.  To  what  habits  of  living  did   John   Ericsson  ascribe  his 
wonderful  health  and  vigor  ? 

19.  Tell  also  about  John  Wesley's  wonderful  vitality. 


CHAPTER   IV 
THE  BENEFITS  OF  EXERCISE 

HISTORY  teaches  us. that  the  power  of  a  nation  very 
largely  depends  upon  the  physical  fitness  and  vigor 
of  its  individual  citizens. 
The  conquering  races 
have  always  been  those 
that  have  given  much 
attention  to  physical 
training. 

In    the     days     when 
Greece    rose    to    power 
and    became    Ruling 
the    ruler    of   Pe°Ple 

always  de- 

the  world,  the    veiopthe 
Greeks    were    body- 
devoted  to  athletic  exer- 
cise.    Their  athletic 
sports  found  their  high- 
est  development  in  the 
Olympic   games,    where 

Contests     Were     held      in  THE  GREEKS  SOUGHT  TO  DEVELOP  A 

r  1  BEAUTIFUL  AND  PERFECT  BODY. 

loot-racing,  leaping, 

wrestling,   and  other  similar  sports.      It   was   a    part 
of  the  religion  of  the  Greeks  to  develop  the  most  per- 

63 


64  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

feet  and  beautiful  body.  As  a  result  of  this  they  have 
given  to  the  world  models  of  strength,  grace,  and  beauty 
that  have  been  an  inspiration  to  all  succeeding  ages. 

When  Eugene  Sandow  was  a  little  weak  boy  thirteen 
years  old,  his  father  took  him  to  the  Art  Museum,  where 
he  saw  statues  of  Apollo  Belvedere  and  Hercules. 
"Did  such  men  ever  live?"  he  asked  his  father. 
"Where  did  they  get  such  ideas  of  men?"  "From 
the  Greeks,"  his  father  replied.  He  then  wanted  to 
know  how  the  Greeks  became  such  splendid  men. 
"By  exercise,"  he  was  told.  "Could  I  do  it  ?"  he  asked. 
"I  don't  know  why  you  could  not,"  his  father  replied. 
The  result  was  that  Sandow  devoted  himself  to  physical 
training  with  such  success  that  he  became  one  of  the 
best  developed  men  in  the  world  and  was  at  one  time 
considered  the  strongest  man  living. 

The  conquests  of  the  Greeks  brought  them  great 
riches,  and  this  led  to  luxury  and  intemperance.  Alex- 
ander the  Great,  after  conquering  the  world,  killed 
himself  by  intemperance. 

In  the  meantime  the  Romans,  by  strict  discipline  and 
physical  training,  had  been  preparing  themselves  for 
conquest.  They  overcame  the  Greeks,  and  in  their 
turn  obtained  control  of  the  world.  The  greatest  of 
the  Romans,  Julius  Caesar,  spared  no  pains  in  cultivat- 
ing his  body  to  the  highest  degree  possible.  Because 
of  this  he  was  able  to  do  more,  to  work  for  more  hours, 
than  any  other  man  of  his  time.  The  greatest  of 
Roman  orators,  Cicero,  said,  "It  is  exercise  alone  that 


THE   BENEFITS  OF  EXERCISE  65 

supports  the  spirits  and  keeps  the  man  in  vigor." 
But  after  a  time  the  Romans  abandoned  their  simple 
life  and  gave  themselves  up  to  luxury.  They  neglected 
their  games  and  athletic  exercises  and  hired  gladiators 
for  their  sports  and  foreign  soldiers  to  fight  their 
battles.  Then  they  were  overcome  by  stronger  races. 

A  great  awakening  of  interest  in  athletics  has  been 
brought  about  by  the  revival  of  the  Olympic  games. 
They  are  held  every  fourth  year,  in  a  different  TheOiym- 
country  each  time.  People  of  all  nations  may  picgames. 
compete  in  the  athletic  contests.  One  of  the  chief 
events  is  the  Marathon,  a  twenty-six  mile  race  com- 
memorating the  famous  run  of  the  Greek  messenger  to 
Athens  with  the  news  of  the  victory  of  Marathon. 
These  games  have  aroused  a  new  competitive  patriot- 
ism. For  the  honor  and  credit  of  its  country,  each 
nation  does  its  best.  Many  of  the  honors  have  thus  far 
fallen  to  Americans,  especially  in  the  foot-racing  and 
field  sports. 

Now,  when  you  consider  individuals,  what  kind  of 
men  do  you  find  are  the  ones  who  fight  their  way  to  the 
front  rank  and  hold  their  places  there  ?  Is  it  not 
usually  men  who  have  trained  their  muscles  to  hard- 
ness and  endurance  by  physical  exercise  ?  The  man  of 
mental  power  needs  a  tough  body  to  enable  him  to 
stand  the  strain  on  the  brain  and  nervous  system. 

A  good  set  of  muscles  is  one  of  the  best  qualifications 
a  young  person  can  possess.  There  is  no  position  in 
life  which  they  will  not  enable  him  to  fill  the  better  for 


66 


MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 


Effects  of 
exercise 
on  the 
muscles. 

animal. 


in 

Watch 


having  them.     We  shall  glance  now  at  some  of  the 
special  benefits  of  muscle  training. 

Muscles  differ  from  all  machines  that  men  can  make 
in  the  fact  that  they  grow  stronger  by  use.     The  in- 
creased blood  supply  to  an  active  muscle  en- 
ables it  to  grow.     Nature's  first  efforts  towards 
the  muscular  development  of  the  body  are  seen 
the   incessant   movements   of  any  young 
a  baby  kick  out,  when  its  legs  are 
not  restrained  by  clothing,  and  throw 
its  arms  about,  clutching  at  every- 
thing.    This  constant  activity,  seen 
in  all  young  animals,  is  one  means  by 
which  their  muscles    are   developed 
and  strengthened. 

The  effects  of  exercise  in  enlarging 
and  strengthening  the  muscles  are 
easily  seen  in  the  blacksmith  and  the 
woodchopper.  Their  arm  muscles 
are  large  and  also  hard,  while  those 
of  persons  who  use  their  arms  but 
little  in  vigorous  exercise  are  thin  and 
soft.  When  they  are  not  used  at  all, 


A  GOOD  SET  OF  MUSCLES 
IS  ONE  QUALIFICATION 
FOR  ANY  POSITION. 


weak  and  flabby.  They  will  not 
readily  obey  the  orders  sent  to  them 
by  the  brain.  A  person  who  has  had  a  long  illness  and 
has  not  used  his  legs  for  some  time  must  usually  learn 
to  walk  again  when  he  first  gets  out  of  bed.  It  is  a  law 


THE   BENEFITS  OF  EXERCISE  67 

of  nature  that  an  organ  that  is  not  used  dwindles  and 
becomes  useless. 

It  is  very  evident  that  enough  exercise  should  be  taken 
daily  to  keep  the  muscles  strong  and  flexible.  . 

^      J.     .  1-11  Keeping 

but  it  is  not  necessary,  nor  even  desirable,  to  the  muscles 
develop  the  muscles  until  they  become  very  strong  and 

•  j       i        j        tr  •    i.     IT  •  flexible. 

massive     and     hard.     Heavy    weight-lifting, 

which  has  this  effect  on  the  muscles,  is  not  a  good 

form  of  exercise  for  general  development. 

Charles  A.  Bennett,  of  San  Francisco,  was  able  to  lift 
967  pounds  of  pig  iron  with  his  hands ;  to  lift  14 
tons  of  iron  in  a  minute's  time  ;  to  put  up  a  158^  pound 
dumb-bell,  and  to  swing  a  pair  of  ten-pound  Indian  clubs 
4309  times  in  less  than  an  hour,  and  turn  205  back 
somersaults  in  fifty-four  minutes  and  ten  seconds. 
He  died  of  consumption  when  only  thirty-five  years  of 
age.  One  of  the  strongest  men  in  America  years  ago 
was  Richard  A.  Pennell.  He  was  able  to  put  up  a 
dumb-bell  weighing  2Oif  pounds,  making  a  record  that 
for  years  was  unequaled.  During  the  closing  years  of 
his  life  he  was  an  invalid,  suffering  from  the  effects  of 
overexertion.  These  men  exhausted  their  vitality  in 
the  performance  of  useless  Herculean  feats. 

It  is  even  more  important  to  develop  the  muscles  of 
the  trunk  than  those  of  the  legs  and  arms.  Strong 
chest  muscles  are  necessary  for  the  complete  action  of 
the  lungs.  Strong  abdominal  muscles  (Point  these  out 
on  your  own  body)  are  needed  to  keep  the  internal  or- 
gans in  place,  as  well  as  to  assist  the  breathing  move- 


68  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

ments.  Strong  back  muscles  are  especially  necessary 
to  maintain  a  healthy  poise  of  the  body.  Weak  back 
muscles  lead  to  various  deformities,  within  as  well  as 
without  —  flat  and  hollow  chest,  round  shoulders,  spinal 
curvatures,  and  displacements  of  the  internal  organs. 

Regular  exercise  preserves  the  suppleness  of  the 
joints  and  ligaments,  not  only  those  of  the  arms  and 
legs,  but  also  those  of  the  trunk,  which  are  of  more 
importance  to  health. 

During  vigorous  exercise  the  breathing  movements, 
as  you  know,  are  greatly  increased,  and  the  chest  is 
expanded  to  its  fullest  capacity.  As  a  result 
exercise° on  °f  tnis>  the  cartilages,  by  which  the  ribs  are 
the  joints  attached  to  the  spine  behind  and  the  breast 
andiiga-  bone  m  front,  are  stretched  and  bent.  Can 

ments. 

you  tell  what  may  happen  to  the  chest  if  it  is 
not  regularly  stretched  in  this  way  ?  The  cartilages 
will  become  hardened,  they  will  lose  the  power  to 
bend  and  stretch,  and  the  chest  will  become  rigid. 
What  effect  will  this  have  upon  a  person's  health  and 
efficiency  ? 

Of  course,  the  breathing  capacity  will  be  limited  in 
one  whose  chest  has  become  rigid.  This  is  one  reason 
why  an  old  person  cannot  run.  The  rib  cartilages  are 
hardened  so  that  he  is  not  able  to  expand  the  chest. 
Many  a  person  has  died  as  the  result  of  pneumonia  on 
one  side,  because  his  chest  was  so  rigid  that  it  could  not 
expand  to  make  the  other  lung  do  the  work  until  the 
diseased  lung  recovered. 


THE   BENEFITS  OF  EXERCISE 


69 


The  spine  also  needs  exercise  in  order  to  keep  it 
flexible.  The  vertebrae  that  compose  the  spinal  column 
are,  as  you  know,  separated  from  each  other  by  discs 
of  very  elastic  cartilage,  which  enable  the  spinal  column 
to  bend  in  every  direction.  Now  suppose  we  do  not 
bend  the  trunk  in  every  direction  often  enough  to  keep 
these  joints  pliable ;  what  will  be  the  result  ?  These 


WHICH    OF   THESE    MEN   TAKES    REGULAR    EXERCISE  ? 

cartilages  will  in  time  become  inflexible  and  rigid.  The 
ligaments  also  which  bind  the  vertebrae  together  will 
lose  their  flexibility,  and  the  ability  to  bend  the  spine 
will  be  partially  lost.  Further  than  this,  the  muscles 
that  support  the  spine  also  tend  to  become  rigid  and 
shortened  when  they  are  not  stretched  by  frequent 
backward,  side,  and  forward  bendings.  This  is  one 
reason  why  we  find  many  old  people  unable  to  bend  the 
trunk  freely. 


70  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF   LIFE 

Ask  an  old  gentleman  to  bend  over  at  the  hips  and 
touch  the  floor  without  bending  his  knees.  It  is  un- 
Keeping  likely  that  he  will  be  able  to  do  so.  Why  is 
the  spine  this  ?  It  is  because  of  the  stiffness  of  the 
flexible.  Spinal  column.  If  the  same  man  had  begun 
thirty  or  forty  years  before  to  take  regular  daily  exercise 


THIS    EXERCISE    DEMANDS    SUPPLENESS,    "GOOD    WIND,"    AND    SWIFTNESS. 

of  this  kind,  he  would  still  be  able  to  do  it.  A  famous 
French  journalist  maintained  the  flexibility  of  his  trunk 
to  old  age  by  picking  up  a  pin  from  the  floor  every  morn- 
ing without  bending  the  knees.  But  you  ask,  "What  is 
the  harm  if  a  man  cannot  touch  the  floor  without  bend- 


THE   BENEFITS   OF   EXERCISE  71 

ing  the  knees  ?  Is  he  not  just  as  well  off  physically  as  one 
who  can  do  so  ?"  By  no  means.  This  stiffness  in  the 
spine,  especially  in  the  lower  part,  always  involves  a  cor- 
responding weakness  of  the  abdominal  muscles.  When 
the  spine  is  as  rigid  as  a  mast,  the  body  will  be  held 
erect  with  little  muscular  effort.  It  is  not  then  neces- 
sary for  the  muscles  to  be  in  constant  play  in  order  to 
keep  the  body  balanced.  This  is  a  great  disadvantage, 
because  the  muscles  which  hold  the  body  erect,  balanc- 
ing the  chest  and  shoulders  upon  the  pelvis,  by  the  same 
effort  and  at  the  same  time  hold  the  internal  organs  in 
position.  So  this  rigidity  of  the  back  always  means  a 
weak,  relaxed  condition  of  the  abdominal  muscles, 
which  may  result  in  a  falling  of  the  internal  organs. 
This  falling  always  causes  a  multitude  of  ills. 

When  a  man  goes  into  training  for  an  athletic  event, 
usually,  his  eyes  become  brighter,  his  skin  clearer,  his 
temper  more  cheerful,  his  step  more  elastic,  General 
and  his  movements  quicker.     We  can  see  how  benefits  of 
his  whole  body  shares  in  the  benefits  of  regular  exercise- 
exercise.     When  the  muscles  are  used  vigorously,  ac- 
tive changes  take  place,  not  only  in  the  muscles  but  in 
all  the  surrounding  tissues.     More  blood  is  required, 
and  so  the  heart  beats  more  rapidly  in  order  to  supply 
the  demand.     Regular  exercise  strengthens  the  heart 
and  improves  the  circulation  of  the  blood.     It  also,  as 
we  have  seen,  increases  the  breathing  movements  and 
so  strengthens  the  lungs  and  increases  the  vital  capacity. 
One  who  exercises  very  little  easily  gets  out  of  breath, 


MAKING  THE   MOST  OF   LIFE 


but  one  accustomed  to  rapid  walking  or  running  has 
"good  wind."  In  the  latter  case,  a  larger  quantity  of 
blood  is  sent  through  the  lungs,  and  so  larger  quantities 
of  oxygen  are  taken  in  and  carried  to  the  various  tissues. 
The  oxygen  combining  with  the  carbon  of  the  blood 

and  the  tissues  makes 
a  larger  quantity  of 
heat.  How  is  this  su- 
perfluous heat  disposed 
of  ?  The  sweat  glands 
are  set  at  work,  and 
the  skin  is  exercised. 

In  tropical  countries 
heat  increases  perspi- 
ration and  is  to  some 
extent  a  substitute  for 
exercise  in  this  respect. 
In  very  cold  countries 
as  in  Russia  and  Fin- 
land, sweating  baths 
are  much  used  to  exer- 
cise the  skin  and  keep 

it  clean  and  clear.  But  the  sweating  which  is  induced 
by  vigorous  exercise  is  a  much  more  efficient  means  of 
exercising  and  cleansing  the  skin  than  any  application 
of  external  heat.  It  makes  the  skin  clear  and  trans- 
parent, smooths  out  the  wrinkles,  and  makes  it  firm  to 
the  touch. 

The  effect  of  exercise  on  digestion  is  also  very  marked. 


WHAT  DOES  EXERCISE  LIKE  THIS  REQUIRE  ? 


THE   BENEFITS  OF  EXERCISE 


73 


You  know  how  the  appetite  is  increased  by  a  long  walk, 
a  good  swim,  or  a  rapid  run.     What  effect  does  Exercise 
appetite  have  upon  digestion  ?     Nature  takes  and  a  good 
away  the  appetite  of  one  who  does  not  exercise,  aPPetlte- 
in  order  to  protect  him  from  burdening  his  body  with 
unused  material  which  clogs  the 
vital  machinery  and  fills  the  blood 
with  poisons. 

Boerhaave,  a  Dutch  physician 
who  lived  in  the  seventeenth  cen- 
tury, noticed  that  hardworking 
people  seldom  suffered  from  indi- 
gestion, even  after  overfeeding. 
"I  cannot  help  thinking,"  he  said, 
"that  most  of  our  fashionable  dis- 
eases might  be  cured  mechani- 
cally instead  of  chemically  by 
climbing  a  bitter  wood  tree,  or 
cutting  it  down,  if  you  please, 
rather  than  swallowing  a  decoc- 
tion of  its  disgusting  leaves." 

A  stream  rushing  down  the 
mountain  side  will  remain  pure 
and  clear,  while  the  stagnant  pool  will  become  foul  and 
slimy.  In  like  manner  the  tissues  of  a  person  who 
neglects  to  exercise  will  become  filled  with  waste 
material.  As  a  result  of  lack  of  exercise,  the  food  that 
passes  into  the  blood  may  not  get  oxygen  enough,  so 
that  products  which  produce  disease  may  be  formed. 


BALL  GAMES   ALWAYS   FUR- 
NISH  GOOD   EXERCISE. 


74  MAKING  THE   MOST  OF   LIFE 

The  introduction  of  fresh  supplies  of  oxygen  due  to 
exercise  will  burn  up  these  products  and  render  them 
harmless.  The  rubbish  that  has  accumulated  in  the 
tissues  is  carried  away  by  the  rapidly  flowing  life  stream, 
and  the  way  is  prepared  for  new  material.  The  more 
rapidly  old  material  is  carried  away  and  new  material 
is  deposited  in  its  place  through  the  medium  of  the  blood, 
the  higher  the  degree  of  life  and  vital  activity.  This 
rapid  change  does  not  hasten  the  wearing  out  of  the 
body  but  delays  it  by  keeping  it  constantly  renewed. 
When  a  muscle  contracts,  it  is,  as  you  know,  in 
response  to  a  message  sent  to  it  by  the  brain  along 
a  nerve  trunk.  It  is  impossible  then  to  ex- 
mulcie  ercise  the  muscles  without  exercise  of  the 
training  nerves  also.  Exercise  has  a  marked  effect  in 
benefits  steadying  the  nerves,  giving  one  self-command 

the  nerves.  ,         .  i  ?•  -XT      i  • 

and  mental  poise  and  readiness.  JNothing  so 
well  prepares  one  for  promptness  of  action  in  emergen- 
cies as  thorough  training  of  the  muscles.  A  body  whose 
every  muscle  is  trained  to  precision  of  movement  is  as 
much  more  efficient  and  useful  than  an  untrained  body, 
as  the  well-trained  horse  is  more  serviceable  than  the 
clumsy  unbroken  colt. 

The  mind  and  character  are  influenced  by  physical 
training.  Properly  conducted  exercises  will  develop 
one's  judgment  along  such  lines  as  measuring  distances 
with  the  eye  and  calculating  the  amount  of  force 
required  to  accomplish  a  given  end.  This  sort  of  de- 
velopment gives  physical  courage,  self-control,  and 


THE   BENEFITS  OF   EXERCISE  75 

self-possession.  It  is  one  of  the  best  means  of  over- 
coming timidity.  The  power  of  accomplishing  a  diffi«- 
cult  gymnastic  feat  gives  to  a  youth  a  kind  of  courage 
and  self-confidence  which  may  enable  him  to  overcome 
all  sorts  of  obstacles  in  daily  life. 

HEALTH  PROBLEMS 

1.  Name  two  or  three  of  the  leading  countries  in  the  world. 
Are  most  of  the  people  in  these  countries  lazy  and  luxurious  or 
are  they  energetic  and  temperate  ? 

2.  Many  of  the  cities  in  our  country  spend  thousands  of  dollars 
every  year  on  playgrounds  and  gymnasiums  for  children.     Why 
is  this  done,  do  you  think  ? 

3.  Think  of  some  of  the  great  men  in  history.     Were  they  men 
with  vigorous  bodies  and  hard  muscles  as  well  as  good  minds  ? 
See  how  many  you  can  mention  whose  muscles  were  made  strong 
by  physical  exercise  and  work. 

4.  Find  out  what  occupations   the  men  in  your  community 
follow  who  have  the  strongest  muscles. 

5.  How  does  a  person  who  has  been  sick  in  bed  for  a  long  time 
walk  when  he  first  gets  up  ?     Explain  this. 

6.  Do  you  know  of  any  old  people  who  seem  as  agile  and  strong 
as  many  young  people  ?     If  so,  ask  them  how  they  have  kept  their 
muscles  so  flexible. 

7.  Describe  the  appearance  and  disposition  of  some  one  whom 
you  know  who  does  not  take  enough  exercise. 

8.  Do  you  think  one  should  exercise  more  in  summer  than  in 
winter  ?     Why  ? 

9.  Can  you  mention  any  games  which  train  both  the  mind  and 
the  muscles  ? 

10.  Can  one  take  too  much  of  the  wrong  kind  of  exercise? 
Explain. 


76  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

REVIEW  QUESTIONS 

1.  What  were  the  habits  of  the  people  who  lived  in  Greece 
and  Rome  when  these  countries  were  great  and  powerful  ? 

2.  What   happened   when   the   people   became  lazy   and   self- 
indulgent  ? 

3.  Tell  what  you  can  about  the  Olympic  games. 

4.  How  may  one  make  his  muscles  hard  and  strong  ? 

5.  What  would  happen  to  the  muscles  in  a  man's  arm  if  he 
did  not  use  the  arm  for  a  year  ? 

6.  Would  it  be  a  good  thing  to  develop  the  muscles  until  a 
person  could  lift  exceedingly  heavy  weights  ?     Why  ? 

7.  Why  should  the  muscles  of  the  back  and  chest  be  developed 
especially  ? 

8.  What   are   ligaments?     What   is   necessary   to   keep   them 
supple  ? 

9.  Why  are  old  people  often  slow  and  stiff  in  their  movements  ? 

10.  What  exercise  will  help  to  keep  the  spine  flexible  ? 

11.  Which  have  stronger  muscles  as  a  rule  —  girls  or  boys? 
Why? 

12.  Tell  in  what  ways  the  whole  body  benefits  from  exercise. 

13.  Is  a  person  who  stays  quietly  indoors  most  of  the  time  as 
cheerful  as  one  who  plays  and  works  out  of  doors  ?     Why  ? 

14.  What  effect  does  regular  exercise  have  on  the  vital  capacity  ? 

15.  How  is  the  skin  exercised  usually? 

1 6.  In  very  cold  countries  what  is  sometimes  done  to  exercise 
the  skin  ? 

17.  Describe  the  effect  of  exercise  on  digestion. 

1 8.  How  does  lack  of  exercise  injure  the  tissues  ? 

19.  How  may  the  worn-out  tissues  be  renewed  ? 

20.  Tell  how  muscle  training  benefits  the  nerves. 

21.  What    influence    does    physical    training    have    on    one's 
character  ?     Explain. 


CHAPTER  V 


TRAINING  THE  MUSCLES  FOR  HEALTH  AND  SYMMETRY 

IN  order  to  be  of  the  greatest  benefit,  exercise  should 
be  enjoyable.  We  know  that  appetite  is  necessary 
to  good  diges- 
tion. In  the 
same  way,  ex- 
ercise that  is 
taken  without 
relish,  merely 
as  one  takes  a 
dose  of  medi- 
cine for  the 
sake  of  health, 
will  not  do  us 
so  much  good 
as  that  which 
is  connected 
with  some  in- 
teresting work 
or  pleasure 

ONE'S     DAILY    WORK,    WHEN    DONE     IN     A     GOOD     SPIRIT, 

a  delight.  FURNISHES  EXCELLENT  EXERCISE. 

77 


78  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

One's  daily  work  usually  provides  much  opportunity 
for  healthful  exercise.  For  girls,  general  housework  — 
sweeping,  dusting,  making  beds  —  gives  splendid  exer- 
cise, bringing 
into  play  the 
whole  muscular 
system.  For 
boys,  no  gen- 
eral exercise  ex- 
cels that  which 
may  be  secured 
in  'doing 
chores"  about 
the  house. 
Splitting  and 
carrying  wood, 
running  er- 
rands, and  en- 
gaging in  the 
various  em- 
ployments in- 
cluded under 
the  head  of 

GARDENING  is  A  GOOD  EXERCISE.  ((     ,  j>     T 

chores,      if 

done  heartily,  give  good  exercise  for  all  parts  of  the  body. 
Working  in  the  open  air  is  much  more  beneficial 
Using  one's  than  working  indoors.  In  cultivating  flowers, 
muscle*  vegetables,  and  small  fruits,  — digging,  hoeing, 
training.  pruning,  —  one  is  at  the  same  time  cultivating 


HEALTH  AND   SYMMETRY  79 

health  and  muscular  development.  The  ancient  Greek 
boxers  practiced  digging  as  a  means  of  developing 
their  arm  muscles. 

It  has  been  shown  that  there  is  a  difference  of  five 
inches  in  height  'and  thirty-one  pounds  in  weight 
between  the  Scotch  agricultural  population  and  the 
manufacturing  population  of  Sheffield  and  Birmingham. 
This  goes  to  show  that  work  done  out  of  doors  tends  to 
develop  the  physique  much  more  than  work  done  indoors. 

Dr.  Dudley  A.  Sargent,  Director  of  Hemenway 
Gymnasium,  Harvard  University,  tells  how  when  a  boy 
he  became  interested  in  the  laws  of  health  through 
reading  a  school  physiology  and  resolved  to  make  his 
daily  labor  contribute  to  the  development  of  his 
physique.  He  says  :  "  Henceforth  going  up  and  down 
stairs  was  simply  a  means  of  strengthening  the  muscles 
of  the  legs.  Lifting  weights  and  bearing  burdens  were 
approved  ways  of  developing  the  muscles  of  the  back 
and  loins  and  strengthening  the  arms  and  shoulders. 
Plowing,  mowing,  raking,  pitching,  hoeing,  chopping, 
digging,  hoisting,  and  all  the  different  forms  of  labor 
that  fall  to  the  lot  of  the  country  boy,  were  classified 
according  to  their  effects  in  developing  certain  muscles 
of  the  body  and'  were  entered  upon  with  the  same  zest 
with  which  one  would  engage  in  a  course  of  systematic 
exercise.  The  proud  consciousness  that  I  was  improv- 
ing my  physique  and  adding  to  my  strength  and  vigor, 
lightened  the  burden  of  labor  and  afforded  me  great 
satisfaction." 


80  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

Outdoor  games  and  sports  are  among  the  best  forms 
of  exercise  because  they  give  at  the  same  time  fresh 
The  best  a*Y  anc^  enjoyment.  The  exercises  that  are 
forms  of  most  beneficial  to  the  body  in  a  general  way 
exercise.  are  tnose  tnat  bring  into  play  the  large  mus- 
cles of  the  body,  especially  those  of  the  legs,  as  in  run- 
ning, swimming,  hill  climbing,  and  rapid  walking. 

Walking,  in  these  days  of  steam  cars,  street  cars,  auto- 
mobiles, telephones,  and  the  like  is  becoming  almost 
a  lost  art.  The  city  youth  who  wishes  to  go  a  few 
blocks  usually  jumps  on  the  trolley  car.  The  country 
boy  "hitches  up"  every  time  he  has  to  go  a  mile. 
But  in  gaining  a  little  time,  how  much  physical  benefit 
may  be  lost !  Some  one  has  suggested  that  if  a  magical 
physician  were  "to  invent  an  elixir  that  imparted  a 
tithe  of  the  virtue  of  a  day's  walk  in  the  open  air,  he 
would  be  the  Croesus  of  pill  makers.  How  much  would 
we  give  for  a  bottle  of  his  concoction  !  Yet  we  may 
walk  for  nothing,  and  we  may  begin  to-day." 

Do  you  know  that  when  walking  at  the  rate  of  four 
miles  an  hour  you  breathe  five  times  as  much  air  as 
when  you  are  sitting  still  ?  What  effect  do  you  think 
this  has  upon  the  development  of  your  chest  ?  The 
natives  of  Hindostan,  when  they  see  a  man  going  out 
for  a  walk,  say,  "He  goes  forth  eating  air.9'  "If," 
says  one,  "every  boy  in  the  United  States  would  take 
daily  one  thousand  slow,  very  deep  breaths  from  now  on 
throughout  his  life,  it  would  almost  double  our  vigor 
and  effectiveness  as  a  nation." 


HEALTH  AND  SYMMETRY 


81 


Robert  Bur- 
dette  gives  this 
advice  to 
young  people : 
"Live  out  of 
doors  all  you 
can,  my  boy. 
Walk  a  heap. 
The  open  air, 
the  free  air, 
and  the  sun- 
shine are  as 
good  as  the 
exercise — bet- 
ter." 

The  man 
who  has  done 

more   A  twelve 
tO  en-  hundred 

cour-  milewalk- 
age     walking 
than  any  other 
man     in    this 

generation    is      ^R'  ^'  ^*  WESTON>  WHEN  SIXTY-NINE  YEARS   OF  AGE, 

Tp_j  ,        p  WALKED      1234     MILES      IN      LESS      THAN     TWENTY-NINE 

JLClWan          *  <*y-  DAYS.      HE    WALKED    ON    COUNTRY    ROADS,    AND    VERY 

SOn     West  On.  POOR  ONES  AT  THAT,  MUCH  OF  THE  WAY. 

When  he  was  twenty-nine  years  old  he  created  a  sensa- 
tion by  walking  from  Portland,  Maine,  to  Chicago,  111. 
Forty  years  later,  when  sixty-nine  years  of  age,  he  re- 


82  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

peated  the  walk,  traveling  a  distance  of  1234  miles  in 
less  than  twenty-nine  days,  improving  a  little  over  the 
record  previously  made.  Men  have  walked  farther 
than  this  in  the  same  period,  but  they  walked  on  pre- 
pared tracks  where  they  were  protected  from  the 
elements.  Weston  traveled  over  country  roads,  many 
of  which  were  very  poor,  and  he  walked  in  all  kinds  of 
weather.  All  things  considered,  his  feat  may  be  con- 
sidered even  more  remarkable  than  that  of  Captain 
Barclay,  an  English  pedestrian,  who  walked  one  thou- 
sand miles  in  one  thousand  hours. 

Do  you  think  Weston  could  have  performed  this 
feat  that  attracted  the  attention  of  the  whole  country 
if  he  had  neglected  personal  hygiene  and  regular  physi- 
cal exercise  ?  His  performance  is  especially  remarkable 
as  showing  that  a  man  of  threescore  and  ten  years  may 
after  forty  years  of  temperate  living  and  rational  exer- 
cise be  able  to  endure  the  same  physical  exertion  that 
he  could  before  he  was  thirty.  Weston  himself  ex- 
pressed the  hope  that  his  trip  "would  serve  to  show 
the  young  people  of  America  what  right  living  will  do 
for  one." 

Mr.  Weston  stated  to  the  writer  that  he  never  eats 
meat  when  he  is  taking  a  long  walk,  but  confines  himself 
to  the  simplest  and  most  digestible  foods,  living  almost 
wholly  upon  cereals  and  fruits. 

It  has  been  estimated  that  the  amount  of  muscular 
work  needed  daily  in  order  to  keep  one  in  health  is 
about  150  foot  tons.  It  is  interesting  to  calculate  the 


HEALTH  AND   SYMMETRY  83 

amount   of  work   one   performs  in  different   kinds  of 
exercise.     In  walking,  for  example,  the  amount 
of  work  done  is  much  larger  than  would  be  Jj^T 
supposed.     A  German  physiologist  has  demon-  of  work 
strated  that  in  walking  at  the  rate  of  three  done.m 

exercise. 

miles  an  hour,  one  uses  the  same  amount  or 

energy  that  would  be  required  to  lift  his  body  vertically 


HERE  is  FINE  EXERCISE  FOR  ANYONE. 

through  one  thirteenth  the  distance  that  he  walks. 
That  is,  to  walk  thirteen  feet,  requires  as  much  energy 
as  to  lift  one's  self  one  foot.  If  a  boy  weighs  100 
pounds,  he  would  use  up  100  foot  pounds  of  energy  in 
walking  thirteen  feet. 

How  far  would  a  boy  weighing  100  pounds  have  to 
walk  in  order  to  lift  150  foot  tons  ?  In  lifting  his  body 
one  foot  the  boy  could  do  100  foot  pounds  of  work.  To 
do  a  foot  ton  or  2000  foot  pounds  of  work;  he  would 


84  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

have  to  lift  his  body  twenty  times,  and  to  do  150  foot 
tons  he  would  be  obliged  to  lift  his  body  3000  times 
(150x20=3000),  and  to  do  this  by  walking  on  a  level, 
he  would  need  to  travel  thirteen  times  as  many  feet,  or 
39,000  feet  (3000x13=39,000),  which  equals  7.4  miles. 
Now  will  you  figure  out  the  distance  you  should  walk 
to  do  150  foot  tons  of  work.  The  amount  of  work 
done  would  of  course  be  increased  if  a  burden  were 


WALKING  13  FEET  ON  THE  LEVEL  USES  THE  SAME  AMOUNT  OF  ENERGY  AS 
LIFTING  ONE'S  SELF  I  FOOT  HIGH. 

carried.  It  is  evident  that  a  very  fat  person  will 
accomplish  a  larger  amount  of  work  in  traveling  a 
given  distance  than  a  thin  person,  because  he  carries 
so  much  dead  weight.  The  man  who  weighs  twice  as 
much  as  he  should  practically  carries  another  man  on 
his  shoulders.  This  renders  walking  much  more  diffi- 
cult and  is  especially  noticeable  in  going  upstairs  or 
uphill. 

In  going  upstairs  one  is  obliged  to  lift  the  body 


HEALTH  AND   SYMMETRY  85 

through  the  distance  from  the  lower  floor  to  the  upper. 
If  the  distance  were  ten  feet,  and  the  weight  of  the  per- 
son 170  pounds,  this  ascent  would  involve  an  amount  of 
work  equivalent  to  lifting  seventeen  hundred  pounds 
one  foot  high.  You  can  calculate  from  your  own  weight 
and  the  distance  between  the  upper  and  lower  floors  in 
your  house  the  amount  of  work  involved  in  lifting  your 
body  from  the  lower  to  the  upper  floor,  and  how  many 
times  it  would  have  to  be  done  to  accomplish  the 
necessary  amount  of  daily  exercise,  if  it  were  all  to  be 
taken  in  this  way. 

When  one's  daily  work  does  not  involve  the  necessary 
amount  of  exercise,  and  it  cannot  be  taken  out  of  doors, 
it  may  be  easily  taken  in  one's  room  if  desired,  _, , 

i  •  r  t  i  •  A  along 

in  such  exercises,  for  example,  as  standing  erect  exercise 
and  alternately  raising  and  lowering  the  heels  ;  'm  one's 
or  bending  and  extending  the  knees ;   or  sup- 
porting the  body  upon  the  hands  between  two  chairs 
or  other  supports,  and  letting  the  body  down  as  low 
as  possible  and  then  raising  it  to  position  —  the  so- 
called  "dipping  movement."     In  this  last  exercise  the 
work  is  done  by  the  arms. 

A  person  practicing  heel  raising  at  the  rate  of  100 
movements  a  minute  for  twenty-four  minutes,  rising  two 
inches  each  time,  would  do  as  much  work  as  in  walking 
a  mile.  How  long  would  a  man  weighing  150  pounds 
have  to  continue  this  exercise,  to  lift  his  150  foot  tons  ? 

A  larger  amount  of  work  may  be  done  in  the  same 
time  by  lifting  a  pair  of  iron  dumb-bells  with  the  arms  at 


86  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 


SIMPLE  WAYS  OF  TAKING  EXERCISE  WITHIN  DOORS. 


HEALTH  AND  SYMMETRY  87 

the  same  time  the  heel  raising  movements  are  executed. 
For  example,  a  person  weighing  150  pounds,  holding 
in  his  hands  a  pair  of  dumb-bells  weighing  twenty- 
five  pounds  each,  making  the  total  weight  lifted  200 
pounds,  raising  himself  two  inches  thirty  times  a  min- 
ute would  do  work  amounting  to  1000  foot  pounds  each 
minute,  or  60,000  foot  pounds  in  an  hour.  Or  if  at 
each  movement  the  dumb-bells  were  raised  one  foot  by 
the  arms,  the  additional  work  done  would  amount  to 
90,000  foot  pounds  or  150,000  in  all,  the  equivalent  of 
lifting  the  body  1000  feet  or  walking  two  and  one  half 
miles. 

Some  people  take  a  long  walk  now  and  then ;  others 
crowd  the  chief  part  of  their  year's  exercise  into  a  few 
weeks'   holiday  in  the   summer.     Of  course  The  best 
this  is  much  better  than  none  at  all,  but  the  time  to 
body  requires  its  daily  portion  of  exercise  as  exercise- 
much  as  its  daily  portion  of  food.     In  fact,  the  exercise 
is  necessary  in  order  for  the  food  to  be  properly  assimi- 
lated.    It  would  be  about  as  sensible  to  undertake  to 
do  a  month's  eating  in  a  single  day  as  to  take  all  one's 
exercise  for  a  month  on  a  monthly  holiday. 

Exercise  regularly,  if  possible  at  the  same  time  each 
day.  The  body  will  then  form  the  habit  of  exercise 
and  will  unconsciously  brace  itself  for  the  work  expected. 
Between  ten  and  twelve  in  the  forenoon  is  the  best 
time,  and  the  next  best  between  four  and  six  in  the 
afternoon.  On  rising  in  the  morning  is,  however,  a 
good  and  convenient  time  for  most  healthy  persons. 


88  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

The  exercise  can  then  be  taken  without  the  restraint  of 
the  ordinary  clothing,  and,  when  perspiration  is  well 
started,  can  be  followed  by  a  short  cold  bath. 

You  know  that  when  a  muscle  contracts,  it  also  at 
the  same  time  expands  or  thickens.  Very  firm  pres- 
sure will  paralyze  a  muscle  for  the  time,  by  preventing 
the  expansion  that  accompanies  contraction.  A  muscle 
that  is  hampered  by  the  pressure  of  tight  clothing 
cannot  do  its  work  perfectly.  The  breathing  organs, 
especially,  should  have  the  greatest  freedom  of  move- 
ment during  exercise.  Loose  garments  that  allow 
perfect  freedom  of  movement  to  every  muscle  and 
organ  should  be  worn  during  exercise. 

Much  greater  benefit  is  derived  from  moderate 
exercise  many  times  repeated  than  from  violent  exer- 
How  cises  repeated  a  few  times.  One  not  accus- 

fatigueaf-  tomed  to  exercise  vigorously  should  begin 
fectsthe  with  light  exercise,  always  stopping:  short  of 

muscles.  r     •  •  i 

extreme  fatigue  and  increasing  the  amount 
of  muscular  work  from  day  to  day.  The  lifting  of 
heavy  weights  or  performing  other  work  too  heavy  for 
the  muscles  may  permanently  injure  them. 

In  order  to  study  the  effects  of  fatigue  on  the  muscle, 
experiments  have  been  made  with  muscles  taken  from 
frogs,  which  retain  their  vitality  for  some  time  after 
being  removed  from  the  animal.  When  such  a  muscle 
is  stimulated  by  electricity,  it  is  found  that  the  con- 
traction and  relaxation  of  the  muscle  gradually  become 
slower.  There  is  an  increase  of  power  during  the  first 


HEALTH  AND  SYMMETRY  89 

ten  or  twelve  contractions,  but  after  that  the  muscle 
becomes  weaker  and  weaker  until  it  can  not  be  made  to 
contract  at  all.  If  left  to  itself  the  exhausted  muscle 
will  recover  in  an  hour  or  so.  But  if  the  nozzle  of  a 
syringe  is  inserted  into  the  artery  and  the  muscle  is 
washed  through  with  pure  blood  or  with  a  normal  salt 
solution,  it  will  recover  immediately.  If  the  washings 
taken  from  the  exhausted  muscle  are  injected  into  a 
fresh  muscle,  they  will  at  once  cause  fatigue  of  that 
muscle,  so  that  it  will  not  contract  readily  in  response 
to  stimulation.  If  the  blood  of  a  dog  fatigued  by  exces- 
sive exercise  is  injected  into  the  veins  of  a  fresh  dog,  the 
latter  at  once  shows  signs  of  fatigue.  Explain  why  exer- 
cise of  a  part  of  the  body  will  fatigue  the  whole  body. 
Another  curious  experiment  shows  the  effect  of  over- 
exertion  of  the  muscles.  One  of  the  long  muscles  from 
a  frog's  leg  is  suspended  by  a  piece  of  thread  attached 
to  one  end  and  has  a  weight  attached  to  the  other  end. 
Every  time  it  is  stimulated  by  a  current  of  electricity 
the  muscle  contracts  or  shortens  and  consequently 
raises  the  weight.  As  the  weight  is  made  heavier  it 
does  not  raise  it  so  far  and  finally  not  at  all.  Adding 
a  little  more  weight,  we  notice  that  the  muscle  lengthens 
instead  of  shortens  when  it  is  stimulated.  You  might 
think,  perhaps,  that  the  weight  stretches  the  muscle. 
But  observe  that  the  muscle  lengthens  only  when  the 
stimulus  is  applied.  When  the  current  is  withdrawn 
the  muscle  shortens  again,  but  every  time  it  is  stimu- 
lated it  stretches  or  lengthens.  This  may  be  one 


90  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

reason,  perhaps,  why  overstraining  a  muscle  may  in- 
jure it  permanently. 

An  exercise  to  which  a  person  is  not  accustomed  is 
generally  more  fatiguing  than  one  to  which  he  is  ac- 
customed, though  the  latter  may  involve  much  more 
actual  work.  The  amount  of  fatigue  is  more  nearly 
proportioned  to  the  difficulty  of  the  work  than  to  the 
amount  done.  For  instance,  suppose  a  person  is  made 
to  walk  a  line.  In  one  way,  it  is  no  more  labor  to  carry 
the  body  on  a  line  or  on  a  narrow  fence  top  than  it  is  to 
walk  on  the  sidewalk.  Yet,  if  you  try  the  experiment 
by  walking,  for  instance,  upon  a  railroad  iron  or  a  fence 
for  half  a  mile,  you  will  find  it  much  more  tiresome  than 
walking  upon  a  broad  path,  where  no  effort  is  required 
to  keep  the  balance.  Why  is  this  ?  It  is  because  the 
nervous  energy  is  used  up  in  maintaining  the  balance. 
The  balancing  effort  exhausts  the  system  by  the  strain 
upon  the  nerve  centers. 

Most  employments  that  are  not  sedentary  give  a 
sufficient  amount  of  exercise  to  maintain  health. 
Some  employments,  however,  give  undue 
for  sym-  exercise  to  special  muscles,  and  this  may  lead 
metrical  to  deformities.  A  carpenter  or  a  blacksmith 
ma^  generally  be  distinguished  from  other 
workers  by  the  way  in  which  he  carries  his 
arms.  The  strongly  developed  flexor  muscles  over- 
balance the  extensors  (Point  out  these  muscles)  so  that 
the  arms  are  constantly  bent  when  they  are  at  rest  as 
well  as  when  they  are  at  work. 


HEALTH  AND  SYMMETRY  91 

Ignorance,  carelessness,  and  weariness  often  lead  a 
person  to  assume  awkward  and  unhealthful  positions 
while  he  is  engaged  in  work,  and  this  may  result  in  fixed 
deformities.  It  is,  of  course,  of  great  importance  to 
maintain  a  correct  poise  during  work. 

It  is  also  necessary  to  give  a  little  thought  to  the 
matter  so  as  to  avoid  one-sided  development.  Most 
persons  use  the  muscles  of  the  right  side  much  more 
than  those  of  the  left.  Everything  requiring  strength 
or  dexterity  is  done  with  the  right  hand.  Even  the 
right  leg  usually  has  enough  more  training  to  make  it  a 
little  larger  than  the  left.  The  extra  work  done  by  the 
right  side  of  the  body  increases  the  strength  of  the 
muscles  of  this  side,  causing  the  spine  to  curve  toward 
the  left  side,  and  the  right  shoulder  to  drop  a  little. 
There  is  probably  not  more  than  one  person  in  four  who 
does  not  have  this  deformity  in  some  degree,  but  with 
proper  physical  training  it  may  be  avoided  or  overcome. 

A  girl  whose  time  was  chiefly  spent  in  doing  house- 
work became  remarkable  for  her  fine  physique  and 
symmetrical  development.  She  attributed  it  to  the 
fact  that  she  was  always  careful  to  give  both  sides 
of  her  body  an  equal  amount  of  exercise  in  doing  her 
work.  For  instance,  when  she  was  polishing  the  stove, 
she  would  do  half  of  the  work  with  her  right  arm  and 
half  with  her  left.  When  she  was  carrying  buckets  of 
water,  she  "changed  hands"  frequently,  and  regulated 
all  her  work  in  the  same  way. 

Even  those  engaged  in  muscular  work  require  special 


92  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

exercise  as  a  rule  to  bring  into  play  all  the  muscles  of 
the  body  and  secure  symmetrical  development.  A 
man  might  sit  down  by  the  roadside  and  spend  ten 
hours  a  day  breaking  stones  with  a  hammer,  as  men 
may  be  seen  doing  on  the  roadways  of  England,  and  the 
active  exercise  would  give  him  a  good  appetite,  sound 
digestion,  and  strong  arm  muscles  ;  but  the  rest  of  the 
body,  if  neglected,  would  become  seriously  deformed. 
His  limbs  would  become  stiff,  his  gait  feeble  and  awk- 
ward, and  all  symmetry  of  form  and  grace  of  movement 
would  be  lost. 

An  important  point  to  remember  is  that  a  little  exer- 
cise taken  in  the  right  position  is  sufficient  to  counter- 
Corrective  act  long-continued  exercise  in  the  wrong  posi- 
exercises.  tjon  .  because  in  the  one  case  we  are  working 
with  Nature  and  in  the  other  against  her.  For  this 
reason  a  little  general  exercise  of  the  whole  body,  taken 
in  a  correct  position,  will  have  the  effect  of  preventing 
deformities  that  might  otherwise  be  caused  by  one's 
work.  It  is  a  good  thing,  however,  to  give  special 
exercise  to  those  muscles  that  have  been  too  long 
stretched  or  contracted. 

One  whose  back  has  been  bent  at  his  work  may  save 
himself  from  round  shoulders  and  a  backward  curvature 
of  the  spine  by  taking  daily  five  or  ten  minutes  vigor- 
ous exercise  of  the  back  and  arm  muscles  with  the 
spinal  column  in  the  erect  position.  The  chest  muscles 
which  have  been  inactive  should  also  be  specially  exer- 
cised. 


HEALTH  AND  SYMMETRY 


93 


To  correct  round  shoulders  and  flat  chest :  raise  the 
chest  as  high  as  possible,  draw  in  slowly  a  long,  deep 
breath,  and  at  the  same  time  press  the  back  of  the  neck 
hard  against  the  collar.  Do  this  repeatedly.  It  will 
bring  the  spinal  column  into  the  correct  position, 
straighten  out  the  back  between  the  shoulders,  and 
deepen  the  chest.  Persons  who  have  round  shoulders 
and  flat  chests  should  sleep  on  a  hard  mattress,  with  a 
very  thin  pillow 
or  none  at  all. 

When  the  head 
is  constantly  bent 
forward  in  study- 
ing or  working, 
the  muscles  at  the 
back  of  the  neck 
that  support  the 
head  lose  their 
tone  from  being 

continually  on  the  stretch,  as  a  piece  of  elastic  over- 
stretched loses  the  power  to  contract.  Unless  the  mus- 
cle tone  is  restored  by  suitable  exercise,  the  droop  of  the 
head  may  become  a  permanent  deformity.  A  splendid 
exercise  for  the  muscles  of  the  back  is  the  following : 
Lie  upon  the  floor  face  downward,  and  raise  the  head 
upward  as  far  as  possible.  Any  other  exercise  that 
draws  the  head  upward  and  backward  will  help  to 
strengthen  these  muscles  that  hold  the  head  erect. 

The  strength  of  the  abdominal  muscles  which,  as  we 


THIS     IS     A     GOOD     EXERCISE     FOR      STRENGTHENING 
THE    ABDOMINAL    MUSCLES. 


94  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

have  seen,  has  such  an  important  relation  to  the  health 
of  the  body,  may  be  greatly  increased  by  the  following 
simple  exercises :  Walking  on  tiptoe  with  the  chest 
held  high ;  running  around  the  room  on  all  fours ; 
lying  on  the  back,  with  the  legs  held  straight,  raising 
them  to  the  perpendicular,  repeating  ten  to  twenty 
times  three  times  a  day ;  lying  on  the  back  and  raising 
the  body  to  the  sitting  position  with  the  hands  placed 
at  the  back  of  the  neck. 

One  whose  work  keeps  his  hands  bent  continually,  as 
in  rowing,  shoveling,  or  writing,  may  counteract  the 
effects  of  this  by  forcibly  extending  the  fingers  as  much 
as  possible  several  times  in  succession,  at  intervals 
during  his  work. 

HEALTH  PROBLEMS 

1.  Make  a  list  of  the  tasks  which  you  do  at  home  and  which 
you  enjoy  doing. 

2.  Observe  the  people  you  know  who  work  out  of  doors  and 
compare  them  with  people  who  work  indoors.     Which  are  the 
larger  and  stronger?     Which  are  the  more  healthy  and  cheerful 
in  appearance  ? 

3.  Make  a  list  of  all  the  outdoor  games  and  sports  you  enjoy 
in  summer.     Make  another  list  of  those  you  enjoy  in  winter. 

4.  How  far  do  you  walk  in  coming  to  school  ?     Is  the  road 
level  or  does  it  go  up  and  down  hill  ?     About  how  many  times 
should  you  have  to  walk  this  distance  in  order  to  do  150  foot  tons 
of  work  ? 

5.  Open  and  shut  your  hand  vigorously  and  rapidly  for  five 
minutes.     Do  the  muscles  work  as  easily  and  readily  at  the  end 
of  the  experiment  as  they  did  when  you  began  ?     Why  ? 

6.  In  running  a  long-distance  race,  athletes  do  not  start  out 


HEALTH  AND  SYMMETRY  95 

at  the  height  of  their  speed,  but  run  only  moderately  fast  at  first. 
Why  do  they  do  this  ? 

7.  Try  to  write  a  simple  sentence  with  your  left  hand.  Is  it 
harder  or  easier  than  with  your  right  hand  ?  Why  ? 

8'.  Perhaps  you  know  persons  whose  arm  muscles  are  strong 
and  well-developed,  but  who  cannot  handle  a  pen  or  a  needle 
easily.  What  is  the  reason  for  this  ?  What  muscles  does  a  black- 
smith train  ?  A  writer  or  a  needleworker  ? 

9.  Observe  how  many  of  your  classmates  have  one  shoulder 
higher  than  the  other.     What  is  the  cause  of  this  ?     How  may  it  be 
remedied  ? 

10.  How  many  people  do  you  know  who  carry   their  heads 
forward  constantly  ?     How  may  they  correct  this  ? 

n.  What  habits  in  sitting,  standing,  reading,  or  writing  are 
likely  to  make  a  person  one-sided  ? 

REVIEW  QUESTIONS 

1.  What  is  necessary  in  order  that  exercise  may  be  of  the 
greatest  benefit  ? 

2.  What  kinds  of  work  can  a  girl  do  that  will  give  her  much 
healthful  exercise  ?     What  kinds  can  a  boy  do  ? 

3.  What  diFerence  is   there  between   the  Scotch   agricultural 
population  and  the  manufacturing  population  of  Sheffield  ?     Why 
is  there  such  a  difference  ? 

4.  What  sports  afford  the  best  exercise  ? 

5.  Why  is  walking  so  beneficial  an  exercise  ? 

6.  Tell  about  the  achievements  of  Edward  Payson  Weston. 

7.  How  much  daily  exercise  is  needed  in  order  to  keep  one  in 
health  ? 

8.  Why  does  a  fat  person  use  up  a  larger  amount  of  energy  in 
walking  a  given  distance  than  a  thin  person  ? 

9.  Describe  some  good  exercises  which  may  be  taken  in  one's 
room. 


96  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

10.  Is  it  well  for  a  person  to  crowd  all  his  exercise  into  a  few 
weeks  in  the  summer  ?     Why  ? 

11.  What  is  the  best  time  for  taking  exercise? 

12.  What  is  the  effect  of  tight  clothing  worn  while  a  person  is 
exercising  ? 

13.  Why  is  very  violent  exercise  repeated  a  few  times  not  as 
beneficial  as  moderate  exercise  repeated  many  times  ? 

14.  What  effect  does  fatigue  have  on  the  muscles  ? 

15.  Why  does  exercise  of  a  part  of  the  body  fatigue  the  whole 
body  ? 

1 6.  What  is  the  effect  of  overexertion  upon  the  muscles  ? 

17.  Why  is  work  to  which  a  person  is  not  accustomed  more 
fatiguing  than  work  to  which  he  is  used,  although  the  latter  may 
require  more  muscular  effort  ? 

1 8.  Explain    how   certain    kinds   of  work    cause    a   one-sided 
development  of  the  body. 

19.  What  should  be  done  to  insure  the  symmetrical  develop- 
ment of  the  muscles  ? 

20.  What  is  meant  by  corrective  exercises  ?     Of  what  value  are 
they  ? 

21.  Describe  an  exercise  which  will  correct  round  shoulders. 

22.  Describe  an  exercise  which  will  strengthen  the  abdominal 
muscles. 

23.  How  may  one  prevent  his  fingers  from  becoming  bent  and 
crooked  ? 


CHAPTER  VI 
FOOD  AND  EFFICIENCY 

AN  engineer  can  measure  the  exact  amount  of  work 
that  a  locomotive  can  do  on  a  given  quantity  of  fuel. 
He  knows,  for  instance,  that  a  ton  of  hard  coal  will 
carry  a  train  a  certain  distance.  The  same  weight  of 
soft  or  bituminous  coal  would  not  carry  the  train  so 
far,  because  it  gives  off  less  heat ;  and  since  the  fuel 
value  of  a  ton  of  wood  is  still  less,  the  distance  that 
could  be  traveled  on  it  would  also  be  less.  That  is,  the 
amount  of  work  that  can  be  done  depends  upon  the 
quality  and  amount  of  the  fuel  burned.  It  is  the  same 
way  with  the  human  body.  It  is  possible  to  determine, 
as  we  have  learned,  by  means  of  the  calorimeter,  just 
how  much  heat  is  liberated  when  food  is  burned  and, 
consequently,  the  amount  of  work  that  it  may  enable 
the  body  to  perform.  How  many  heat  units  or  calories 
are  furnished  by  an  ounce  of  fat  ?  How  many  by  an 
ounce  of  sugar,  starch,  and  proteid  ? 

The  important  question  for  us  is,  how  best  to  main- 
tain the  body  in  a  condition  of  health  and  strength ; 
or  in  other  words,  to  establish  the  highest  degree  The  ideal 
of  efficiency,  with  the  least  expenditure  of  energy.  diet- 
You  can  see  that  the  eating  of  unnecessary  food  means  a 

H  Q7 


98  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

loss  of  energy  to  the  body  in  handling  and  getting  rid 
of  the  surplus.  There  is  unnecessary  "wear  and  tear" 
on  the  digestive  and  eliminative  organs,  and  any  excess 
is  not  only  useless,  but  is  likely  to  prove  injurious. 
The  ideal  diet  is  the  smallest  amount  that  will  suffice 
to  keep  the  body  in  a  state  of  continual  vigor  ;  the  diet 
that  will  give  the  maximum  of  energy  with  the  minimum 
of  expenditure. 

Recall  what  you  have  learned  as  to  the  uses  of  food 
in  the  body :  (i)  to  repair  the  body  tissues ;  (2)  to 
furnish  heat  and  energy. 

The  material  for  building  and  repairing  the  body  is 
furnished  by  the  proteins  in  the  food.  The  body  is  con- 
The  build  stantly  wearing  out  and  must  be  constantly 
ing  mate-  renewed.  Protein  food  is  needed  for  this  pur- 
riaiofthe  pose.  If  not  supplied  in  sufficient  quantity, 
the  body  would  not  be  repaired  as  fast  as  it 
wears  out.  A  person  who  would  continue  such  a  diet 
for  a  long  time  would  in  time  waste  away  and  die.  It 
is  possible  for  one  to  starve  on  a  diet  consisting  wholly 
of  foods  in  which  there  are  no  proteids. 

The  amount  of  protein  consumed  by  the  body  is 
shown  by  the  amount  of  nitrogen  thrown  off.  Two 
men  carefully  noted  the  amount  of  nitrogen  excreted 
on  a  day  in  which  they  did  no  vigorous  muscular  work. 
The  next  day  they  climbed  a  mountain  23,733  feet 
high,  and  they  found  that  there  was  no  increase  in  the 
amount  of  nitrogen  excreted.  This  showed  that  the 
extraordinary  work  was  not  done  by  the  aid  of  protein, 


FOOD  AND  EFFICIENCY  99 

but  by  the  energy  derived  from  fats  and  carbohydrates, 
the  starch  and  sugar  of  the  food.  Numerous  experi- 
ments made  since  have  shown  the  same  thing. 

The   fats    and    carbohydrates,    which    are   the   fuel 
foods,  do  not  form  muscle,  bone,  nerve,  and  sinew,  but 
only  supply  heat  and  energy  by  being  burned  The  fuel 
up  in  the  body.     They  may  be  stored  up  in  the  foods- 
form  of  fat,  which  is  reserve  fuel  to  be  used  by  the 
body  when  needed,  just  as  fuel  is  stored  for  future  use 
in  the  tender  of  a  locomotive. 

It  is  not  necessary  to  eat  much  fat  in  order  to  be 
fat.  The  body  is  able  to  manufacture  fat  out  of  car- 
bohydrates (starch  foods  and  sugar).  A  German 
chemist,  Professor  Liebig,  kept  a  record  of  the  fat  in  the 
food  given  to  a  cow,  and  he  found  that  the  fat  which  the 
cow  gave  out  in  her  milk  far  exceeded  the  amount  of 
fat  that  she  ate  in  her  food.  An  experiment  made 
with  some  young  pigs  showed  that  they  stored  up 
more  than  four  times  as  much  fat  as  was  given  to  them 
in  their  food. 

Some  of  the  carbohydrate  food  is  stored  also,  you 
may  know,  in  the  form  of  glycogen  or  "animal  starch" 
in  the  liver  and  muscles.  In  this  respect  the  liver  seems 
to  act  as  a  kind  of  savings  bank  or  place  of  deposit 
for  some  of  the  fuel  not  needed  for  immediate  use,  deal- 
ing it  out  as  needed  in  the  form  of  sugar. 

Proteins  also  may  be  used  by  the  body  as  fuel,  but 
this  occurs  only  in  case  of  necessity.  People  living  in 
cold  climates,  in  cases  where  there  has  been  a  coal 


ioo  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

famine  in  the  midst  of  a  severe  winter,  have  some- 
times had  to  burn  up  their  furniture  for  fuel.  When 
that  was  exhausted  they  have  even  been  known  to 
tear  down  a  part  of  the  house  and  burn  it.  It  was 
better  to  mutilate  the  house  than  to  perish  with  cold. 
In  like  manner,  when  a  person  is  deprived  of  food,  the 
body  first  draws  on  its  reserve  fuel  and  burns  up  its 
store  of  fat.  When  this  is  used  up,  some  of  the  flesh 
also  has  to  be  consumed  in  order  to  maintain  enough 
heat  to  keep  life  in  the  body.  In  such  cases,  of  course, 
proteins,  being  the  building  material  of  the  body,  are 
used  for  fuel. 

Another  case  in  which  the  body  is  obliged  to  burn 
protein  is  when  an  excess  of  protein  food  is  eaten  and 
«  ciink-  absorbed  into  the  blood.  We  have  noted  the 
ers » in  ways  in  which  the  body  is  able  to  regulate  the 
ody<  supply  of  the  fuel  foods  to  meet  its  needs,  as  a 
self-regulating  furnace  controls  by  an  automatic  device 
the  supply  of  coal  to  the  fire.  But  for  the  proteins  there 
is  no  such  provision.  The  protein  absorbed  into  the 
blood  that  is  not  needed  for  immediate  use  must  be 
burned  up  in  order  to  get  rid  of  it,  --to  get  it  out  of 
the  body.  So  if  the  body  does  not  need  the  protein  for 
repairs,  it  will  use  it,,  but  it  is  a  bad  form  of  fuel,  for  it 
leaves  behind  what  might  be  called  "clinkers." 

When  fats  and  carbohydrates  are  consumed  they 
leave  no  ashes.  They  are  changed  into  carbonic  acid 
gas  and  water,  both  of  which  are  easily  eliminated. 
The  carbonic  acid  gas  is  exhaled  through  the  lungs  and 


FOOD  AND  EFFICIENCY;;,;  ^ 

the  water  passes  off  through  the  kidneys  and  the  skin. 
With  protein  foods  the  story  is  quite  different.  These, 
oxidized,  yield  substances  that  are  not  ready  for  elimi- 
nation by  the  kidneys  until  they  have  been  chemically 
changed  by  the  liver.  These  products  —  frequently 
spoken  of  as  tissue  toxins  (poisons)  —  circulating  through 
the  body  may  have  an  injurious  effect.  When  present 
in  large  amounts,  they  dull  the  brain  and  irritate  the 
nerves  and  may  even  be  deposited  in  the  tissues  and 
cause  hardening  of  the  arteries,  —  premature  old  age. 

You  can  see  that  while  a  sufficient  amount  of  protein 
is  absolutely  necessary  to  the  body,  great  excess  is  very 
likely  to  prove  harmful.  It  throws  much  extra  work 
upon  the  liver  and  kidneys,  which  may  result  in  serious 
injury  to  these  organs  because  of  the  formation  of 
poisonous  waste  substances,  due  to  the  fact  that  the 
body  can  not  burn  protein  completely  as  it  does  starch, 
sugar,  and  fat. 

Besides,  and  this  is  a  highly  important  fact  pointed  out 
by  Rubner,  the  great  German  physiologist,  the  energy 
resulting  from  the  burning  of  the  excess  of  protein 
eaten  can  not  be  utilized  by  the  body  as  is  the  energy 
of  starch  and  fat.  Energy  can  be  gotten  out  of  the 
food  only  after  it  has  become  a  part  of  the  cell.  The 
excess  protein  is  never  assimilated,  it  never  becomes  an 
actual  part  of  the  living  body,  it  is  burned  to  get  rid  of 
it,  just  as  we  sometimes  burn  rubbish  in  a  bonfire. 
Even  the  heat  produced  is  extra  heat  which  the  body 
does  not  need,  and  so  it  is  carried  off  by  an  increase  in 


MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

the  insensible  perspiration.  Under  conditions  of  ex- 
treme exposure  to  cold  the  heat  might  be  of  service. 
On  the  other  hand,  in  cases  of  fever,  and  in  hot  weather, 
the  heat  excess  induced  by  too  much  protein  may  do 
great  harm. 

Apecuiiar  Rubner  found  that  when  a  dog  is  fed  pro- 
trait  of  tein  alone,  40  per  cent  more  food  is  required  to 
proteid.  maintain  his  weight  than  when  he  is  fed  on  a 
mixed  diet  containing  a  proper  proportion  of  carbohy- 
drates and  fats.  This  is  the  reason  why  meats  of  vari- 
ous sorts  are  sometimes  called  "heating"  foods.  An 
ounce  of  protein  burned  in  the  body  gives  rise  to  more 
heat  than  it  could  alone  furnish.  The  extra  amount  of 
heat  is  obtained  by  burning  the  body  tissues. 

Still  another  highly  interesting  and  most  important 
fact  shown  by  careful  experiments  upon  dogs  and  men  is 
that  protein  is  so  poor  a  source  of  energy  that  it  actually 
causes  an  expenditure  of  more  energy  than  it  supplies. 
In  other  words,  it  excites  the  body  cells  to  expend  more 
energy  than  it  furnishes,  so  that  it  may  become  a 
source  of  serious  loss  when  used  in  excess. 

Protein  is  the  most  necessary  element  of  our  food, 
though  a  comparatively  small  amount  is  sufficient  for 
the  needs  of  the  body.  Taken  in  excess,  it  causes 
waste  of  energy  in  digesting,  absorbing,  and  eliminat- 
ing it,  which  means  a  strain  on  the  liver  and  kidneys 
and  an  increase  in  the  body  of  poisonous  products  which 
are  very  likely  to  prove  harmful.  When  carbohydrates 
and  fats  are  eaten  in  excessive  amounts,  there  is  the 


FOOD  AND  EFFICIENCY  103 

same  waste  of  energy  in  digesting,  absorbing,  and  burn- 
ing them,  but  the  products  they  form  are  much  more 
easily  eliminated.  They  may  also  be  stored  as  fat  for 
future  use,  a  quality  which  is  not  true  of  protein. 

From  a  study  of  a  food  table,  we  may  learn  that 
most  of  our  foods  contain  all  three  elements,  though 
in  greatly  varying  proportions.  Lean  meats  consist 
mostly  of  protein,  with  a  little  fat.  Eggs  have  also  a 
very  high  proteid  value,  especially  the  white  ;  the  yolk  of 
egg  contains  a  good  deal  of  fat  and  is  relatively  low  in 
proteid.  Milk,  cheese,  peas,  beans,  and  peanuts  are 
all  fairly  high  protein  foods.  Bread  and  cereals  are 
largely  carbohydrates,  but  partly  protein.  Fruits  and 
most  vegetables  are  low  in  proteid. 

You  can  appreciate  that  it  is  not  possible  to  deter- 
mine the  exact  amount  of  food  needed  and  to  lay  down 
any  fixed   rule,   because  the  amount  needed  The 
varies  greatly,  not  only  with  different    indi-  amount  of 
viduals  according  to  age,  size,  sex,  and  so  on,  food 
but  also  with  the  same  person  under  different 
conditions.     The  amount  of  muscular  work  greatly  in- 
fluences the  amount  of  food  needed.     Why  should  this 
be  the  case  ? 

It  has  been  found  that  for  brain  work  the  body  con- 
sumes very  little  if  any  more  food  than  when  at  rest, 
though  not  sleeping.  In  cold  weather  the  appetite  is 
keener  than  in  warm  weather.  More  heat  is  lost  from 
the  body,  and  so  more  food  is  needed  to  maintain  the 
body  temperature.  What  kinds  of  food  do  you  think 


104  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

it  would  be  best  to  increase  in  order  to  supply  more 
heat  to  the  body  ?  Muscular  activity  is  usually  greater 
in  cold  than  in  warm  weather,  a  condition  which  is  one 
reason  why  people  eat  more  in  winter  than  in  summer. 

Experiments  and  investigations  made  in  recent  years 
have  thrown  great  light  on  the  subject  of  nutrition, 
especially  with  regard  to  the  regulation  of  the  diet  to 
produce  the  highest  efficiency. 

Some  years  ago,  Mr.  Horace  Fletcher  found  that 
when,  with  his  attention  fixed  upon  the  taste  of  food 
and  the  enjoyment  of  the  fine  flavors  in  it,  it 
innutrition  was  masticated  until  it  disappeared  of  itself, 
—  its  ef-  without  forced  swallowing,  his  appetite  was 
fectson  satisfied  with  a  much  smaller  quantity  than 

efficiency.  J 

he  had  formerly  been  accustomed  to  eat. 
This  economy  in  nutrition  relieved  the  body  of  a  great 
burden,  and  his  health,  which  had  become  impaired, 
began  at  once  to  improve. 

Experiments  were  undertaken  by  Mr.  Fletcher  in 
Cambridge  University,  England,  under  the  supervision 
of  Sir  Michael  Foster,  the  eminent  physiologist,  and  at 
Yale  University,  under  the  supervision  of  Professor 
Chittenden,  also  an  eminent  scientist. 

In  Sir  Michael  Foster's  report  of  the  experiments  he 
said  :  "The  adoption  of  the  habit  of  thorough  insaliva- 
tion  of  the  food  was  found  to  have  an  immediate  and 
very  striking  effect  upon  appetite,  making  this  more 
discriminating,  and  leading  to  the  choice  of  simple 
food,  and  in  particular  reducing  the  craving  for  flesh 


FOOD  AND  EFFICIENCY  105 

food.  ...  All  subjects  of  the  experiments  who  ap- 
plied the  principles  intelligently  agreed  in  finding  a 
very  marked  reduction  in  their  needs  and  experienced 
an  increase  in  their  sense  of  well-being  and  an  increase 
in  their  working  powers." 

Professor  Chittenden  undertook  a  series  of  experi- 
ments for  the  purpose  of  determining  the  value  of  a 
low-protein  diet.     A  company  of  soldiers  from 
the   United  States  army  volunteered  for  this 
experiment.     For  the  first  two  weeks  the  ordi-  with  the 
nary  army  rations  were  given  to  them,  and  ' <!°^"^°" 

L  u  r  -J    •         i_      r  tern  "diet. 

then  the  amount  or  proteid  in  the  food  was 
gradually  reduced  until  it  was  less  than  half  that  to 
which  they  had  been  accustomed.     During  the  experi- 
ment, which  lasted  about  six  months,  the  men  were 
given  daily  vigorous  exercise  in  the  gymnasium. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  experiment  and  at  its  close 
the  strength  of  the  men  was  tested  by  means  of  the 
dynamometer.  It  was  found  that  every  one  of  them 
had  made  a  great  gain  in  muscular  strength,  in  some 
cases  more  than  one  hundred  per  cent ;  that  is,  they 
had  more  than  doubled  their  strength.  They  were  less 
aware  of  fatigue  than  formerly,  and  could  do  more  work 
without  the  feeling  of  fatigue  that  usually  accompanies 
muscular  work. 

To  place  the  matter  beyond  question,  another  series 
of  experiments  was  made.  Men  in  training  for  athletic 
events  usually  think  it  necessary  to  eat  large  quanti- 
ties of  proteid  food,  and  this  is  why  meat  has  such  a 


io6 


MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 


prominent  place  in  their  diet.  A  group  of  students  in 
the  university,  all  athletes,  was  secured.  These  men 
gradually  cut  down  the  amount  of  proteid  food  in  the 
same  way  as  the  soldiers  had  done.  To  make  sure 

that  they  were 
not  losing  in 
strength,  dyna- 
mometer tests 
were  taken  each 
month.  These 
tests  showed,  on 
the  contrary,  a 
marked  gain  in 
strength,  which 
seemed  to  in- 
crease as  the 
amount  of  pro- 
t  eid  dimin- 
ished. One  of 
the  athletes 
during  these  ex- 
periments won 
two  champion- 
ships —  the  Collegiate  and  the  All-round  Inter- 
collegiate Championship  of  America.  The  Director 
reported  that  they  had  gained  not  only  in  strength, 
but  in  ability  and  skill.  These  men  were  all  athletes 
who  had  been  in  training  for  months,  and  in  some  cases 
for  years,  and  were  said  to  be  "in  the  pink  of  condition" 


Courtesy  of  the  New  York  Evening  Mail. 

THE  MEN  WHO  WIN  IN  GREAT  FEATS  OF  ENDURANCE, 
AS  IN  THE  MARATHON  RACES  AND  OLYMPIC  GAMES, 
LIVE  ON  LOW-PROTEID  DIET,  AND  SOME  OF  THEM 
ABSTAIN  FROM  FLESH  EATING. 


FOOD  AND   EFFICIENCY  107 

when  they  began  the  tests.     In  their  case,  therefore, 
the  gain  could  be  attributed  only  to  the  diet. 

All  these  experiments,  taken  together,  show  that 
the  body  may  be  relieved  of  a  great  amount  of  needless 
labor,  which  means  a  saving  of  energy,  by  reducing  the 
amount  of  proteid  food  to  much  less  than  the  R  u  . 
average  ;  and  this  may  be  done  not  only  with  the  organs 
no  loss,  but  with  great  gain  in  working  power.  of  unneces- 
The  bodily  economy  is  not  the  only  gain.  The  sary 
increase  in  working  power  means  an  increase  in  earn- 
ing power  and  a  diminishing  of  the  loss  of  time  through 
sickness.  The  improved  health  also  means  a  saving  of 
doctors'  bills.  The  foods  high  in  proteid  are  as  a  rule 
the  most  expensive  items  in  the  diet,  especially  when 
the  proteids  are  taken  in  the  form  of  animal  foods. 
If  a  family  can  be  amply  nourished  on  a  less  expensive 
diet  than  it  is  accustomed  to,  it  is  evident  that  there 
will  be  more  money  to  use  for  other  purposes.  Professor 
Chittenden  even  goes  so  far  as  to  say  that  if  the  use  of 
food  was  reduced  to  a  true  basis,  "the  saving  to  the 
community  and  to  the  family  might  well  amount  to 
enough  to  constitute  the  difference  between  pauperism 
and  affluence." 

What  is  the  source  of  the  food  supply  of  the  world  ? 
You  remember  what  we  learned  as  to  the  difference 
between  animals  and  plants  in  this  respect.  The  seiec- 
Are  animals  an  original  source  of  food  ?  tionoffood. 

In  the  process  of  growth  the  plant  stores  up  the  sun- 
light, which  is  the  source  of  nearly  all  the  energy  on 


io8 


MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 


U.  S.  Department  of  Agriculture 

Office  of  Experiment  Stations 

A.  C.  True:  Director 


Prepared  by 
C.  F.  LANGWORTHY 
Expert  in  Charge  of  Nutrition  Investigations 


COMPOSITION  OF  FOOD  MATERIALS. 


Protein  Fat         Carbohydrates        Ash 

CORN 


Water 


I  Fuel  Value 
/fa  Sq. In. Equals 
1000  Calorie 


WHEAT 


Fat  ,4. 


ater:10.8 


Water:10.6 


~Pr0tein:10.0  Protein:12.2 


Ash.j_5J|^p^Carbohydrates:73.4  Carbohydrates: 73. 7 


at:1.7 


-Ash:  1.8 


FUEL    VALUE: 


BUCKWHEAT 


Fat: 5. 


1800CALORIES       Protein:mQ-^ggr^Water:12.6       1750  CALORIES 
PER  POUND          Carbo-— -~~*lffipS      Fat:2.2  PER  POUND 

hydrates  :73. 2^^ — Ash:  2.0 

FUEL    VALUE: 

OAT  RICE 

-Waterll.O         1600  CALORIES      Water:12.0- 
-Protein:11.8        PER  POUND    Protejnf 


w-  v...:«, 

hydrates: 73.9  ^||— Ash:  1.9 


Carb 
hydrates:77.0 

'Water:  10.5 
rotein:12.2 


—  Ash:1.0 


FUEL  VALUE; 


1  720  CALORIES 
PER  POUND 


1750  CALORIES 
PER  POUND 


COMPOSITION  OF  CEREALS. 


FOOD  AND  EFFICIENCY 


109 


U.  S.  Department  of  Agriculture 
Office  of  Experiment  Stations 
A.  C.  True:  Director 


Prepared  by 

C.  F.  LANGWORTHY 

Expert  in  Charge  of  Nutrition  Investigations 


COMPOSITION  OF  FOOD  MATERIALS. 


mm 

Protein  Fat         Carbohydrates 

LAMB  CHOP 

EDIBLE  PORTION 

•Water:53.1 


Ash 


Water 


•     Fuel  Value 
xf6Sq.ln.  Equals 
1000  Calories 

PORK  CHOP 

EDIBLE  PORTION 


Water:52.0 


Fat:30.1 


Ash:1.0 
FUEL  VALUE: 


1  540  CALORIES 
PER  POUND 


Fat:  38.8 


BEEF  STEAK 

EDIBLE  PORTION 

Water:  61 .9 


Fat:.28.3 


SMOKED  HAM 

EDIBLE  PORTION 

Water:  40.3 
Protein:  16.1 


FUEL 

VALUE: 


sh:4.8 

1940  CALORIES 
PER  POUND 

DRIED  BEEF 

EDIBLE  PORTION 

Protein: 
30.0 


Fat:  18.5 


FUEL 

VALUE:  I 


1  1  30  CALORIES 
PER  POUND 


FUEL 

VALUE:! 


1840  CALORIES 
PER  POUND 


COMPOSITION  OF  MEATS. 


no  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

earth.  The  heat  of  the  sun  raises  water  by  evaporation 
and  forms  clouds,  which  float  inland  until  they  reach  a 
mountain  peak,  when  the  moisture  is  condensed  and 
flows  down  the  mountain  side.  Man  puts  a  wheel  in 
the  current  and  the  wheel  turns  the  mill ;  so  the  water- 
wheels  and  mills  are  really  turned  by  the  sunlight. 
The  sun  at  the  equator  warms  the  air;  it  arises  and 
flows  out  toward  the  poles,  and  the  air  from  the  poles, 
being  cold,  flows  back  along  the  surface  of  the  earth. 
Man  puts  up  a  wheel  in  the  air  and  the  wind  turns  the 
wheel.  Coal  and  petroleum  are  sunlight  stored  up 
in  the  earth.  These  are  burned  in  furnaces  and  make 
steam  which  turns  engines  ;  so  the  machinery  is  turned 
by  the  sunlight.  The  same  thing  is  true  of  animal 
energy.  The  farmer  plants  grain,  which  under  the  in- 
fluence of  sunlight  grows  and  multiplies  ;  he  feeds  it  to 
his  horses,  which  expend  the  energy  from  the  sunlight 
through  their  muscles  in  pulling  heavy  loads.  Our 
muscular  energy,  our  brain  and  nerve  energy,  come  from 
the  sun  through  the  food  we  eat. 

A  locomotive  or  a  stationary  steam  engine  is  a  means 
for  using  stored  energy.  The  human  locomotive  is  also 
a  means  of  using  stored  energy.  The  order  of  Nature  is 
that  the  vegetable  world  stores  up  the  sunlight,  and  the 
animal  world  expends  the  energy.  What  bearing  does 
this  have  on  the  natural  food  of  man  ?  Is  the  food 
material  improved  or  not  in  being  first  used  by  some 
other  animal  ?  What  is  added  to  it  ?  What  is  taken 
from  it  ? 


FOOD  AND  EFFICIENCY  in 

Some  time  ago  an  eminent  London  physician  was 
called  to  the  zoological  gardens  to  find  out  the  cause 
of  the  great  number  of  deaths  among  the  baby  lions. 
He  found  that  the  trouble  was  that  they  were  being 
fed  entirely  on  meat  and  were  not  getting  any  lime 
in  their  diet.  He  told  the  keepers  to  give  them  some 
ground  bones  also.  After  they  did  this  the  lions 
thrived.  When  the  pig  and  the  ox  eat  grain,  the  lime 
in  it  goes  to  nourish  their  bones.  In  order  to  get  back 
the  whole  of  the  grain  we  should  have  to  eat  the  whole 
animal,  bones  and  all. 

Natural  foods  are  sometimes  modified  by  milling  and 
so  on  so  as  to  remove  some  of  their  valuable  elements. 
In  whole  wheat,  for  instance,  we  find  nearly  Natural 
everything  that  the  body  needs,  —  a  sufficient  foods- 
proportion  of  proteid,  carbohydrates,  and  the  necessary 
mineral  salts.  But  in  the  process  of  milling,  in  order  to 
obtain  fine  white  flour,  the  valuable  mineral  salts  are 
largely  lost.  It  is  thought  that  the  early  decay  of  the 
teeth  which  is  now  so  common  is  largely  the  result  of 
"lime  starvation,"  due  to  the  diet's  being  composed 
largely  of  meat  and  white  bread.  The  English  Govern- 
ment has  thought  this  matter  of  so  much  importance 
that  a  "standard"  for  bread  making  flour  has  been  is- 
sued, and  the  people  are  being  instructed  and  encour- 
aged to  give  up  the  use  of  white  bread  entirely  and  to 
use  only  the  "standard  bread"  made  from  whole 
wheat  flour. 

A  large  part  of  the  human  family  have  from   the 


ii2  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

earliest  times  used  only  food  of  vegetable  origin,  prin- 
cipally fruits,  grains,  nuts,  and  other  seeds.  At  the 
present  time  these  substances  form  the  principal  food 
of  at  least  two  thirds  of  the  human  race.  The  300,000,- 
ooo  people  in  India  live  almost  entirely  upon  rice  and 
dahl,  a  preparation  of  lentils,  with  a  little  oil  or  melted 
butter.  Rice  is  also  the  chief  article  of  diet  of  the 
400,000,000  of  China  and  Siam,  and  of  the  sturdy 
Japanese  race.  The  millions  living  in  the  central  por- 
tion of  Africa  live  chiefly  upon  the  natural  vegetable 
products  of  the  forest.  The  cocoanut,  the  plantain, 
and  the  banana  form  a  very  large  part  of  the  dietary 
of  Central  America  and  the  West  Indies. 

The  best  guide  in  the  selection  of  food  is  instinct. 
But  with  many  people  the  instinct  that  should  guide 
them  in  this  respect  has  been  changed  by  wrong  methods 
of  eating.  The  "hurry  habit"  is  largely  responsible 
for  overeating,  so  common  in  our  country.  The  best 
means  of  training  the  appetite  so  that  it  will  be  a  sure 
guide  to  the  needs  of  the  body  is,  as  Mr.  Fletcher  has 
shown  us,  thorough  mastication  of  every  morsel.  The 
stopping  point  should  be  the  earliest  moment  at  which 
one  feels  satisfied. 

You  may  remember  about  Alexis  St.  Martin,  the  man 
who  had  an  opening  in  his  stomach  caused  by  a  gun-shot 
Accidental  wound  and  who  was  kept  under  observation 
discoveries,  by  j)r  Beaumont.  Alexis  signed  a  contract 
to  submit  to  all  kinds  of  experiments  for  one  year. 
During  this  year,  Dr.  Beaumont  made  some  inter- 


FOOD  AND  EFFICIENCY  113 

esting  discoveries  which  have  since  been  confirmed  by 
later  investigators. 

He  discovered  that  taste  has  a  marvelous  effect  on 
digestion.  When  Alexis  ate  food  that  he  liked,  more 
gastric  juice,  which  is  necessary  for  digestion,  was  poured 
out  in  the  stomach  than  when  he  ate  food  that  he  did  not 
like.  This  important  fact  was  almost  lost  sight  of 
until  Professor  Pawlow  discovered  the  same  thing  in  his 
experiments  on  dogs.  The  more  the  food  is  enjoyed, 
the  better  it  will  be  digested.  You  have  seen  people 
bolt  their  food  almost  without  tasting  it  at  all.  Such 
people  are  likely  to  suffer  from  indigestion. 

Dr.  Beaumont  also  anticipated  Horace  Fletcher  in 
discovering  that  thorough  mastication  greatly  lightened 
the  work  of  digestion, -- that  the  longer  the  food  re- 
mained in  the  mouth,  the  less  time  it  was  in  the  stomach. 

He  also  discovered  that  condiments,  such  as  mustard 
and  pepper  and  other  substances  that  are  "hot"  when 
they  are  cold,  irritated  the  lining  membrane  of  the 
stomach  and  caused  it  to  pour  out  mucus,  laying  the 
foundation  for  gastric  catarrh. 

Baking  powder,  soda,  and  cream  of  tartar,  which 
are  used  in  cooking  as  a  quick  and  convenient  way  of 
making  light  bread,  cakes,  and  such  foods,  are  likely  to 
hinder  digestion  by  stopping  the  flow  of  the  gastric 
juice.  Pawlow  found  that  while  a  pint  of  water  put 
into  a  dog's  stomach  caused  an  abundant  outpouring 
of  gastric  juice,  if  a  grain  of  soda  were  added  to  the 
water  no  juice  at  all  was  poured  out.  Though  the  daily 


ii4  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

use  of  these  things  may  be  small,  their  continued  use 
day  after  day  for  months  and  years  may  not  only  inter- 
fere with  the  action  of  the  gastric  juice,  but  may  finally 
destroy  the  power  of  the  stomach  to  make  it  at  all. 

Another  substance  which  hinders  digestion  is  vinegar, 
a  single  teaspoonful  of  which  is  sufficient  to  prevent  the 
action  of  the  saliva  upon  an  ordinary  meal.  It  has 
been  shown  that  acetic  acid  --  the  acid  of  vinegar  -  -  is 
as  powerful  as  alcohol  in  producing  injury  to  the  liver 
and  kidneys.  Lemon  juice  is  a  perfect  substitute  for 
vinegar. 

Dr.  Beaumont  noticed  that  bulk  in  food  helped  diges- 
tion, because  it  stimulates  the  wall  of  the  intestine,  and 
so  helps  the  rapid  transit  of  the  food  through  the  ali- 
mentary canal,  which  is  not  likely  to  be  the  case  when 
food  is  too  condensed.  This  is  a  matter  of  great  im- 
portance, because  when  the  food  stagnates  in  the  canal, 
germ  poisons  are  produced  which  cause  what  is  called 
"auto-intoxication,"  about  which  you  will  learn  more 
later.  Fruits  and  vegetables  give  the  necessary  bulk 
to  the  food. 

An  important  source  of  disturbance  to  the  mucous 
membrane  of  the  stomach  and  intestines  is  cane  sugar 
irritating  when  taken  in  large  quantities.  This  sub- 
the  stance  is  not  found  in  nature  in  the  condition 

stomach.  m  y^hj^  jt  appears  upon  our  tables.  It  takes 
about  twenty-five  pounds  of  maple  sap  to  make  one 
pound  of  sugar.  This  is  a  hint  that  sugar  was  not  in- 
tended by  nature  to  be  used  in  the  concentrated  form 


FOOD  AND  EFFICIENCY  115 

to  which  it  is  reduced  in  these  times.  No  provision 
has  been  made  for  its  digestion  in  the  stomach,  and 
it  is  therefore  acted  upon  by  the  bacteria  of  fermenta- 
tion, which  change  it  into  irritating  acids.  We  have 
only  a  small  quantity  of  the  enzyme  that  digests  cane 
sugar  in  the  intestine,  which  would  also  indicate  that 
it  should  not  be  taken  in  large  quantities. 

It  has  been  suggested  that  the  "sweet  tooth"  that 
nature  has  given  us  is  for  the  purpose  of  coaxing  us  to 
masticate  our  food  thoroughly,  because,  when  cooked 
starch  is  thoroughly  masticated,  it  is  partially  changed 
to  natural  sugar  in  the  mouth.  Man  originally  ob- 
tained his  sugar  from  starchy  foods,  which  in  the  process 
of  digestion  he  changed  into  malt  sugar  and  also  from 
sweet  fruits  and  from  honey.  These  natural  sugars  are 
very  easily  assimilated.  But  he  now  produces  sugar 
in  a  concentrated  form,  and  adds  it  to  his  food  in  large 
quantities,  and  even  eats  it  alone  in  the  form  of  candy. 
By  this  means  the  appetite  is  tempted  long  after  hun- 
ger has  been  satisfied,  and  it  becomes  so  perverted  that 
it  can  no  longer  be  depended  upon  as  a  guide.  The 
taste  for  natural  food  is  destroyed,  and  everything 
must  be  sweetened  to  satisfy  the  unnatural  craving 
produced  by  the  use  of  sugar.  The  normal  appetite 
for  sugar  may  be  easily  satisfied  by  a  little  natural 
sugar  such  as  is  found  in  raisins,  figs,  dates,  malt  sugar, 
or  honey. 

A  German  chemist  observed  in  experiments  upon  a 
dog  that  a  solution  containing  only  six  per  cent  of  cane 


ii6       .      MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

sugar  caused  irritation  with  reddening  of  the  mucous 
membrane.  A  ten  per  cent  solution  produced  a  dark 
red  color  with  great  irritation  and  caused  the  animal 
great  pain.  You  can  appreciate  that  sugar  should  not 
be  taken  alone  into  an  empty  stomach.  Taken  in  small 
quantities  in  connection  with  the  meals  it  will  probably 
do  no  harm  to  a  healthy  person. 

Lettuce,  celery,  radishes,  cucumbers,  and  ripe  fruits 

are  valuable  because  they  supply  the  need  of  the  body 

for  raw  food.     The  great  attention  that  has  of 

The  need 

forun-  late  been  given  to  the  diet  of  babies  has 
cooked  brought  out  the  fact  that  a  diet  of  cooked 
food  alone  cannot  be  taken  for  more  than 
eight  or  ten  days  without  harm.  If  continued  for  a 
long  time  in  babies  it  produces  rickets.  It  is  now 
known  that  scurvy  among  sailors  is  due,  principally 
to  the  lack  of  raw  food.  Cooking  is  a  process  which, 
while  it  renders  some  foods  more  digestible,  seems  also 
to  destroy  some  of  the  finer  elements  of  the  food  that 
the  body  requires  for  perfect  nutrition. 

Cooking  is  a  sort  of  preliminary  or  external  digestion 
for  those  foodstuffs  which  are  not  prepared  by  nature 
ready  to  enter  the  digestive  apparatus.  It  is  espe- 
cially required  for  foods  containing  raw  starch  —  the 
cereals  and  vegetables.  Unripe  fruits,  which  also 
contain  starch,  need  cooking  to  make  them  digestible. 
Meat  and  fish,  while  not  made  more  digestible,  are 
made  very  much  more  appetizing  and  agreeable  to  the 
taste  by  cooking ;  and  the  bacteria  which  they  fre- 


FOOD  AND  EFFICIENCY  117 

quently  contain,  as  well  as  any  possible  parasites,  are 
destroyed  by  the  heat.  The  object  of  cooking,  there- 
fore, is  threefold  :  (i)  to  increase  the  digestibility  of 
food;  (2)  to  make  it  more  appetizing;  (3)  to  destroy 
bacteria  and  parasites. 

Foods  eaten  raw  may  introduce  into  the  alimentary 
canal  large  numbers  of  microbes  which  are  not  found 
in  cooked  foods.  Raw  foods  should  always  be  carefully 
washed  before  being  eaten,  even  when  they  can  be 
shelled  like  nuts  or  pared  like  some  fruits.  To  be 
rendered  safe,  uncooked  foods  should  be  dipped  in  boil- 
ing water  or  immersed  for  a  few  minutes  in  a  five  per 
cent  solution  of  peroxide  of  hydrogen. 

While  food  may  be  rendered  more  digestible  by 
proper  cooking,  it  may  also  be  rendered  indigestible  by 
improper  cooking.  Frying  is  a  bad  form  of  cookery. 
The  gastric  juice  has  no  action  upon  fat,  you  remem- 
ber ;  so  when  a  particle  of  food  is  encased  in  a  coating  of 
fat,  the  digestive  juice  cannot  reach  it,  and  it  passes 
through  the  stomach  undigested. 

We  sometimes  hear  certain  foods  recommended   as 
"brain  foods"  and  others  as  "muscle  foods."     Do  you 
think  it  would  be  possible  to  build    up  any  so-called 
special  organ  by  any  special  food  ?     Fat  may,  "  brain 
of  course,  be  developed  by   feeding  fat  and  foods-" 
carbohydrates,  but  fat  is  just  reserve  tissue  and  not  an 
organ.      All  the  cells  of  the  body,  as  a  physiologist  has 
said,  "have  a  common  ration,  and  practically  sit  at 
one  table,  very  much  as  officers  and  soldiers  do  when 


n8  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

engaged  in  actual  warfare.  No  one  then  thinks  of 
giving  to  officers  brain  food  and  to  common  soldiers 
muscle  food,  but  rather  a  good,  general  '  all-round '  food 
supply."  The  best  food  for  the  brain,  as  well  as  for 
the  muscles,  is  good,  wholesome,  natural  food,  well 
selected,  well  prepared,  well  chewed,  and  well  digested. 
The  brain  seldom  suffers  from  lack  of  nourishment. 
Experiments  have  shown  that  even  in  starvation  the 
brain  suffers  little  if  at  all  until  the  last  stages,  when  the 
whole  body  has  been  reduced  to  the  lowest  possible 
degree. 

HEALTH  PROBLEMS 

1.  Write  the  menu  of  your  meals  for  a  day  to  find  out  from  the 
food  table  the  percentage  of  fats  and  carbohydrates  and  protein 
contained  in  each  food.     Are  your  meals  well  balanced  or  is  there 
too  much  of  one  element  in  them  ? 

2.  If  you  were  repairing  your  house,  would  you  buy  more 
building  material  than  you  needed  so  that  the  surplus  cluttered 
up  your  house  ?     Do  you  think  it  a  wise  thing  to  clog  one's  body 
with  surplus  building  material  ? 

3.  Is  it  well  to  store  up  a  large  surplus  of  fuel  in  the  body  in  the 
form  of  fat  ? 

4.  Which  is  the  more  economical  kind  of  coal  to  purchase  — 
that  which  when  burned  leaves  very  little  ashes  or  that  which 
leaves  great  "clinkers"  ?     What  fuel  leaves  clinkers  in  the  body? 
What  kind  leaves  no  ashes  ? 

5.  When  is  your  appetite  the  keenest,  —  when  you  have  been 
sitting  still  or  studying  quietly  all  day,  or  when  you  have  been 
doing  active  muscular  work  ? 

6.  Try  Mr.  Fletcher's  method  of  eating  food,  masticating  each 
morsel  until  it  disappears  of  itself,  without  effort  in  swallowing. 


FOOD  AND  EFFICIENCY  119 

Do  you  eat  as  much  food  at  a  meal  when  you  eat  slowly  in  this 
way  as  when  you  bolt  it  down  ? 

7.  Give  all  the  reasons  you  can  for  eating  food  slowly. 

8.  Plan  a  simple  dinner  for  three  persons  and  find  out  the  cost 
of  each   article  mentioned.     What  kinds  of  food   are   the  most 
expensive  ?     The  least  ?     How  about  the  cost  of  protein  and  of 
non-protein  food  ? 

9.  Which  is  digested  the  more  easily  —  food  which  you  like 
or  food  which  you  do  not  like  ?     Should  a  person  ever  force  him- 
self to  eat  what  he  strongly  dislikes  ? 

10.  It  has  been  suggested  that  we  might  eat  our  food  in  the  form 
of  small  tablets  containing  the  right  amount  of  fats,  carbohydrates, 
and  proteids.     Why  would  this  not  be  advisable  ? 

11.  Take  a  dry  crust  of  bread  and  chew  it  thoroughly.     How 
does  it  taste?     Why  has  nature  given  us  a  "sweet  tooth"  ? 

12.  When  may  candy  be  eaten  in  small  amounts  without  harm 
to  the  body  ?     Name  some  fcods  which  contain  natural  sugar. 

13.  What  is  said  in  this  chapter  about  the  need  of  the  body  for 
raw  food  ?     What  raw  foods  do  you  eat  ?     Tell  how  you  prepare 
them  for  eating. 

14.  Why  does  one  sometimes  have  an  attack  of  indigestion 
after  eating  a  meal  of  doughnuts  ? 

15.  What  is  the  trouble  with  a  person  when  he  has  rickets? 
scurvy  ? 

REVIEW  QUESTIONS 

1.  What  are  the  uses  of  food  in  the  body  ? 

2.  What  food  furnishes  the  building  material  of  the  body  ? 

3.  What  are  the  fuel  foods?     What  do  they  furnish  to  the 
body  ? 

4.  Could  one  exist  on  any  of  these  foods  alone  ?     Why  ? 

5.  In  what  form  are  the  fuel  foods  stored  in  the  body? 

6.  Is  proteid  food  ever  used  as  fuel  ? 

7.  Does  it  make  good  fuel  ?     Why  ? 


120  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

8.  What  harm  is  caused  by  taking  an  excess  of  proteid  food  ? 

9.  What  common  foods  contain  a  great  deal  of  protein  ? 

10.  What  common  foods  are  largely  carbohydrates  and  fats  ? 

11.  Can  the  amount  of  food  needed  by  a  person  be  exactly 
determined  ?     Why  ? 

12.  How  does  the  amount  of  food  needed  vary  with  a  person's 
occupation  ?     With  the  weather  ?     Why  ? 

13.  Describe  the  experiment  made  on  soldiers  of  the  United 
States  army  to  test  the  value  of  a  low-protein  diet. 

14.  What  effect  did  this  diet  have  on  the  athletes  who  tried  it  ? 

15.  What  is  the  original  source  of  food  ? 

16.  Is  food  material  improved  by  being  used  by  some  other 
animal  before  man  uses  it  ?     Explain. 

17.  What  is  taken  from  wheat  in  the  process  of  making  whlce 
flour  ?     Why  is  whole  wheat  flour  better  than  white  flour  ? 

1 8.  Name    some    condiments.     What    injury    does    their    use 
cause  ?     What  substitute  is  there  for  vinegar  ? 

19.  In  what  way  do  baking  powder  and  baking  soda  hinder 
digestion  ? 

20.  What  is  the  importance  of  bulk  in  food  ? 

21.  How  does  cane  sugar  eaten  in  large  quantities  affect  diges- 
tion ? 

22.  Of  what  value  are  raw  foods  ?    What  care  should  be  taken 
in  their  preparation  ? 

23.  Name  three  benefits  from  cooking  food. 

24.  Can  particular  foods  be  classed  as  "brain  foods"  or  "muscle 
foods"? 


CHAPTER  VII 
How  THE  BODY  is  GOVERNED 

IT  is  chiefly  to  his  wonderful  brain  that  man  owes  his 
infinite  superiority  over  all  other  classes  of  animals.     It 
is  also  the  brain  that  gives  man  personality  and  charac- 
ter.    A  man's  value,  his  ability  to  accomplish  things, 
and  therefore  his  usefulness,  depend  upon  his  brain.     A 
boy  may  lose  his  leg  or  arm  and  yet  have  a  useful  life 
before  him  ;  but  when  the  brain  is  undeveloped  TJ^  chief 
or  diseased,  as  in  idiocy  or  insanity,  the  in-  organ  of 
dividual  becomes   useless    and    a   burden  to  thebody 
society.     All  the  other  organs  of  the  body  are  the  serv- 
ants of  the  brain,  which  is  the  master  organ. 

The  wonderful  structure  and  function  of  the  brain 
have  been  discovered  by  the  aid  of  many  interesting 
experiments.  Professor  Horsley,  in  order  to  study  the 
work  of  the  different  parts  of  the  brain,  made  some 
experiments  which  have  been  of  great  value  to  physi- 
cians and  surgeons  in  the  treatment  of  diseases  of  the 
brain.  He  removed  a  small  portion  of  the  skull  of  a 
monkey,  making  a  window  through  which  he  could  see 
its  brain,  which  very  closely  resembles  the  human 


121 


122 


MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 


brain.  He  found  that  when  he  touched  a  particular 
part  of  the  exposed  brain  with  a  little  electrical  instru- 
ment, the  monkey  made  a  grimace,  --he  had  touched 
that  part  of  the  brain  that  controls  the  movements  of 
the  face.  When  he  touched  another  spot,  the  monkey's 


A  GENERAL  VIEW  OF  THE  WAY  THE  BRAIN  IS  DIVIDED  INTO  "  CENTERS "  FOR 
SPECIAL  KINDS  OF  WORK.  WE  ARE  LOOKING  AT  THE  LEFT  HEMISPHERE. 
THE  RIGHT  HEMISPHERE  HAS  CORRESPONDING  DIVISIONS. 

arm  was  pulled  up.  Touching  still  another  spot  caused 
the  leg  to  be  drawn  up.  It  was  found  that  each  group 
of  muscles  was  controlled  by  a  different  part  of  the 
brain  ;  each  had  its  own  particular  "center"  controlling 
its  movements. 

In  this  respect  the  brain  is  like  a  keyboard.     You 
get  special  results  according  to  the  key  that  is  struck, 


HOW  THE   BODY  IS  GOVERNED 


123 


just   as   in   a   piano   you    get    a    different   note    from 
each    different    key.      Or    it    has    been    compared    to 
an  electrical  switchboard,  connected  with  ma-  The  «  cen. 
chines  of  various  kinds.     By  touching  one  key  ters  "  in 
an  engine  may  be  set  in  motion  for  grinding  the  bram' 
corn ;    another   key   starts   an   engine    sawing  wood ; 


A    LATERAL    SURFACE    OF   THE    BRAIN    SHOWING  THE    CENTERS    OF    CONTROL. 

another  may  cause  the  lighting  up  of  a  town.  The 
power  in  each  case  is  the  same,  the  difference  in  the 
result  is  due  to  the  difference  in  the  connections. 

The  speech-controlling  center  is  on  the  left  side  of  the 
brain.      If  this  part  of  the  brain  is  injured,  one  loses 


124  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

the  power  of  speech.  He  can  think  as  well  as  ever  but 
can  not  express  his  thoughts  in  language.  We  have 
also  a  word-seeing  center,  and  if  this  is  injured  or  dis- 
eased, "word-blindness"  is  the  result.  One  suffering  in 
this  way  can  see  objects  as  well  as  ever,  because  there  is 
nothing  wrong  with  the  eye.  He  can  see  trees,  houses, 
men,  and  can  even  see  the  marks  on  the  page  of  a  book, 
but  the  letters  have  no  meaning  to  him,  any  more  than 
Chinese  characters  would  have  to  you.  There  is  also 
a  "word-hearing"  center,  with  which  we  learn  spoken 
language,  and  when  this  is  diseased  or  injured  "word- 
deafness"  results.  A  person  in  this  condition  can  hear 
music,  whistles,  the  songs  of  birds,  he  can  even  hear  the 
sound  of  words,  but  they  convey  no  meaning  to  him, 
just  as  the  noise  of  a  Chinaman's  talking  would  convey 
no  meaning  to  you.  We  have  also  another  center  that 
has  control  of  writing,  and  a  person  in  whom  this  center 
is  injured  loses  the  ability  to  write. 

These  few  examples  help  us  to  understand  something 
of  the  marvelous  complexity  of  the  human  brain. 
You  know  that  the  more  complex  a  machine  is,  the 
greater  the  possibility  of  something's  going  wrong  with 
it.  A  textbook  published  not  long  ago  mentions  one 
hundred  and  seventy-six  diseases  of  the  nervous  system. 
One  reason  why  there  is  so  large  a  number  of  such 
diseases  is  that  the  work  of  the  nervous  system  is  so 
varied.  And  the  demands  of  modern  life  are  so  great 
that  new  diseases  of  the  nervous  system  are  appearing. 
Diseases  of  the  brain  are  increasing  at  such  a  rapid  rate 


HOW  THE   BODY  IS  GOVERNED 


125 


that  in  some  of  the  states  at  the  present  time  one  in 
every  three  hundred  of  the  population  is  insane. 

The  cortex,  that  is,  the  outer  covering  of  the  cerebrum 
or  large  brain,  the  part  that  contains  what  is  known  as 
the  gray   matter,    is  the  seat  of   the  intelli-  The 
gence,  that  is,  of  the  mental  faculties.     Its  Ofthe 
surface  is  roughened,  being  made  up  of  folds,  mentai 
or  convolutions,  and    depressions   which    are 
called  fissures.     The  purpose  of  this  seems  to  be  to 


P.O.F 


SIDE-VIEW  OF  THE  BRAIN  SHOWING  THE  PRINCIPAL  CONVOLUTIONS. 

increase  the  surface  area  of  the  brain.  If  the  brain 
were  spread  out  on  a  level  surface,  it  would  cover  a  much 
larger  space  than  you  might  suppose.  Some  of  these 
fissures  are  so  deep  that  they  divide  the  brain  into  lobes, 
—  the  frontal  lobes  in  front,  the  parietal  and  temporal 


126  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

lobes  on  the  sides,  and  the  occipital  lobes  behind. 
Separating  the  frontal  from  the  parietal  lobes  is  what 
is  called  the  fissure  of  Orlando,  and  about  this  fissure 
the  motor  area,  the  center  that  controls  the  muscles, 
is  situated.  The  upper  third  of  this  area  controls  the 
movements  of  the  legs  and  trunk ;  the  middle  third, 
the  movements  of  the  arms ;  and  the  lower  third,  the 
movements  of  the  face  and  tongue.  You  will  remem- 
ber that  the  right  side  of  the  body  is  controlled  by 
the  left  side  of  the  brain,  and  vice  versa.  When, 
therefore,  there  is  injury  to  the  right  side  of  the  brain, 
the  paralysis  that  results  is  on  the  left  side  of  the 
body. 

It  takes  about  one  tenth  of  a  second  to  see  a  card 
when  it  is  suddenly  put  before  the  eye  and  to  indicate, 
Action  and  by  touching  an  electric  button,  that  you  have 
reaction.  seen  [t  jt  takes  about  the  same  time  to 
hear  a  sound  or  to  feel  the  prick  of  a  pin  and  to  indi- 
cate it  in  the  same  way.  We  shall  have  occasion  to 
notice,  as  we  go  on,  some  of  the  things  that  influence 
the  time  it  takes  to  act  when  one  hears,  sees,  or  feels  a 
thing. 

Experiments  have  shown  that  it  takes  longer  to  act 
with  the  foot  than  with  the  hand,  and  longer  still 
with  the  whole  body,  as  in  the  starting  of  a  race.  The 
"reaction"  time  is  shorter  when  the  attention  is  held 
upon  the  signal  to  be  given.  When  you  watch  the 
starting  of  a  race  you  notice  how  intensely  the  racers 
concentrate  their  attention  upon  the  signal  to  be  given. 


HOW  THE  BODY  IS  GOVERNED     127 

They  seem  to  be  listening  with  their  whole  bodies, 
with  every  muscle  alert  to  respond.  They  know  that 
the  closer  the  attention,  the  quicker  start  they  are 
likely  to  make. 

These  things  that  we  have  been  considering  help  us 
to  see  how  all  the  work  of  the  body,  depending  as  it  does 


NOTE    HOW  THESE    RACERS    CONCENTRATE    THEIR   ATTENTION    SO   THEY   CAN    REACT 
QUICKLY    UPON   THE    STARTING    SIGNAL. 

upon  the  nervous  system,  will  be  influenced  by  any- 
thing that  affects  the  nerves.  Not  only  can  one  whose 
brain  is  clouded  or  whose  nerves  are  benumbed  by 
poisons  circulating  in  the  blood,  not  think  clearly,  but 
all  the  work  of  the  body  is  more  or  less  hindered.  Such 
a  person  can  not  use  his  will  power  as  he  should  to  make 
quick  decisions  and  to  carry  them  out  promptly ; 


128  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

moreover,  his  judgment  will  be  clouded,  and  he  will  be 
likely  to  make  mistakes. 

Think  of  the  many  muscular  movements  involved  in 
turning  a  somersault.  If  the  acrobat  or  athlete  had  to 
think  of  each  consecutive  movement,  he  would 
probably  land  with  a  broken  neck  instead  of 
in  safety  on  his  feet.  In  the  beginning,  of  course,  he 
has  to  do  this,  but  then  care  is  taken  to  have  a  soft 
landing  place  or  to  direct  the  motion  with  the  teacher's 
arm,  and  so  prevent  injury.  Yet  when  any  form  of 
exercise  has  been  thoroughly  learned  and  practiced,  all 
that  is  necessary  is  for  the  first  step  to  be  taken,  and  all 
the  rest  will  follow  in  their  natural  order  without 
thought.  One  who  has  mastered  the  art  of  swimming, 
although  he  may  for  years  be  deprived  of  the  opportu- 
nity to  swim  and  may  even  think  he  has  quite  forgotten 
the  movements,  when  he  finds  himself  in  the  water  can 
swim  easily  without  any  thought  of  the  movements 
required. 

The  story  is  told  of  an  old  soldier  who,  having  retired 
from  the  army  and  taken  up  another  occupation,  was 
walking  along  to  his  work  carrying  his  dinner  pail 
when  some  one  suddenly  called  out  to  him  the  signal 
for  standing  "at  attention."  Instantly  the  dinner  pail 
was  dropped  and  the  body  was  drawn  up  with  the  heels 
together  and  the  arms  straightened  at  the  sides  in  the 
attitude  of  attention.  The  habit  worked  before  the 
mind  had  time  to  prevent  it. 

We  see,  then,  that  what  we  at  first  do  knowingly, 


HOW  THE  BODY  IS  GOVERNED     129 

will,  if  we  do  it  often  enough,  be  done  for  us  in  the  same 
way  without  our  thinking  about  it,  without  our  choice, 
and  even  in  spite  of  our  will  power.  This  shows  us  the 
importance  of  doing  things  from  the  start  in  the  right  or 
the  best  way,  so  that  they  will  not  for  the  rest  of  our 
lives  keep  "doing  themselves"  in  the  wrong  way.  A 
psychologist  has  said  that  we  are  all  mere  "bundles 
of  habits."  That  is,  our  character  is  the  sum  of  our 
habits,  physical,  mental,  and  moral.  Was  he  right  ? 
Why? 

In  the  learning  of  any  new  act,  the  mind  must  be 
kept  on  the  details  of  the  work,  as  in  typewriting  and 

piano-playing.    As  a  general  thing,  the  progress 

i       .ii  !     .  .  i  .      The  in- 

made  will  be  in  proportion  to  the  concentration  fluence  Of 

of  the  mind  on  the  work.     Some  one  has  said  the  mind 

that  "  almost  any  one  can  do  any  thing  that  he  on  ^f 
,     .  IT,  •  i    muscles- 

desires  to  do  if  he  desires  it  strongly  enough 

and  sticks  to  it  long  enough  to  whip  the  muscles  into 
the  habit  of  carrying  out  the  wish." 

The  influence  of  the  mind  over  the  muscles  has  been 
strikingly  shown  in  some  Yale  experiments,  which 
showed  that  men  who  even  only  watched  others  exer- 
cise, without  taking  part  themselves,  increased  the 
size  and  strength  of  the  muscles  used  by  the  others. 
When  one  thinks  of  an  action,  the  muscles  at  once 
begin  to  contract  as  though  to  perform  it.  If  you  are 
greatly  interested  in  a  contest  of  any  kind,  and  espe- 
cially if  a  friend  of  yours  is  taking  part,  how  you  will 
work  with  him !  When  he  throws  the  ball  your  own 


1 30  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

hands  start  working.  When  the  high  jump  is  made  you 
seem  to  lift  your  own  feet.  It  is  said  that  among  the 
enthusiastic  throngs  at  football  matches  it  is  not  un- 
common for  some  one  in  the  crowd  to 'receive  a  violent 
kick  from  an  onlooker  behind  him,  when  one  of  the 
players  is  kicking  the  ball. 

In  view  of  these  facts,  what  effect  do  you  think  that 
interest  and  enthusiasm  in  your  work  would  be  likely 
to  have  upon  your  progress  ? 

Dr.  Mosso,  an  Italian,  invented  a  machine  called  an 
ergograph.  He  used  this  for  the  purpose  of  testing  the 
effects  of  nerve  fatigue  on  the  muscles.  The 
of  nerve  *  ergograph  held  the  hand  and  wrist  firm,  leav- 
fatigueon  ing  the  middle  finger  free  for  use.  To  this 
muscles  finger  was  fastened  a  string  which  at  the  other 
end  was  attached  to  a  six  and  a  half  pound 
weight.  The  finger  had  to  raise  this  weight  every  two 
seconds  and  continue  this  as  long  as  possible.  For 
every  pull  made  by  the  finger,  a  pencil  attached  to  the 
string  drew  a  separate  line.  These  marks  showed  the 
height  to  which  the  weight  was  raised  as  well  as  the 
number  of  times  it  was  raised.  Dr.  Mosso  made 
numerous  tests  under  all  sorts  of  conditions,  and  one 
of  the  things  he  discovered  was  that  the  subjects  tested 
were  not  able  to  lift  the  weight  nearly  so  many  times 
after  they  had  been  doing  hard  brain  work  for  a  long 
time.  For  instance,  a  professor  in  the  University  of 
Turin,  to  which  Professor  Mosso  belonged,  was  tested 
one  afternoon  just  before  giving  oral  examinations  to 


HOW  THE  BODY  IS  GOVERNED     131 

his  pupils,  and  again  when  the  examinations  were  over, 
after  three  and  one  half  hours  of  mental  effort.  Al- 
though he  had  done  no  work  with  his  hands  during  this 
time,  the  muscular  power  of  his  finger  was  greatly 
decreased.  All  of  the  tests  made  showed  that  hard 
brain  work  affects  the  muscles  and  lessens  their  power 
for  work.  Can  you  think  of  any  reasons  why  this 
should  be  so  ?  The  muscles  are  controlled  by  the 
nerves  and,  when  the  nerves  are  exhausted,  they  can 
not  get  so  much  work  out  of  the  muscles.  In  view  of 
this,  do  you  think  it  is  a  good  thing  to  try  to  do  hard 
muscular  work  or  to  take  vigorous  exercise  when  you 
have  been  doing  hard  brain  work  for  a  long  time  ? 

Dr.  Mosso  also  wanted  to  find  out,  on  the  other  hand, 
the  effects  of  muscular  fatigue  on  the  brain.  He  did 
this  by  means  of  experiments  with  birds.  He  _,. 

u    j  •  •  r       u-   u  u      The  effects 

had  some  trained  pigeons,  some  of  which  he  ofmuscuiar 
took  to  a  distant  city  and  set  free.  When  they  fatisue  pn 
arrived  home  he  examined  their  brains.  He 
found  that  while  the  brains  of  the  pigeons  which  had 
remained  at  home  were  full  of  red  blood,  the  brains  of 
the  exhausted  pigeons  were  quite  pale,  as  though  they 
contained  no  blood.  Where  had  the  blood  gone  ?  An 
examination  of  the  wing  muscles  showed  that  they 
were  much  darker  color  then  those  of  the  pigeons  which 
had  been  resting,  and  that  all  the  blood  vessels  in  them 
were  congested  with  blood. 

When  there  is  an  increased  supply  of  blood  to  any 
part  of  the  body  there  is  not,  of  course,  an  actual  in- 


132  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

crease  in  the  amount  of  blood  in  the  body,  but  the  blood 
is  withdrawn  from  some  other  part  where  it  is  not  so 
much  needed  at  the  time.  During  severe  muscular 
work,  the  blood  is  drawn  to  the  working  muscles  and 
the  supply  to  the  brain  is  lessened.  Do  you  think  that 
such  a  time  is  a  good  time  to  try  to  do  hard  brain  work  ? 

It  is  important  also  to  know  that  after  eating  there  is 
an  increased  blood  supply  to  the  digestive  organs,  which 
lessens  the  supply  to  the  brain.  This  explains  the 
mental  dullness  and  drowsiness  which  are  a  common 
experience  with  some  people  after  dinner,  especially 
those  who  are  inclined  to  eat  too  much.  Do  you  think 
this  is  a  good  time  to  try  to  draw  an  extra  supply  to  the 
brain  for  mental  work  ? 

Can  you  think  of  any  other  way  in  which  the  brain 
and  nerves  are  affected  by  muscular  work  ?  Recall 
what  you  have  learned  about  the  fatigue  poisons  formed 
in  the  muscles  and  their  effects  upon  the  whole  body. 
When  a  person  feels  tired  it  is  because  he  is  poisoned  by 
his  own  waste  products.  But  the  body  is  so  marvel- 
ously  constructed  that  it  is  able  to  purify  itself,  like  a 
running  stream,  by  means  of  the  circulation  of  the  blood. 
Rest  gives  opportunity  for  this  purifying  process,  and 
so  counteracts  or  overcomes  fatigue. 

All  these  things  show  us  that  what  is  needed  after 
hard  work  of  any  kind,  either  muscular  or  mental,  is 
rest.  Rest  is  needed  (i)  to  equalize  the  circulation  of 
the  blood,  (2)  to  give  time  for  the  washing  out  of  the 
fatigue  poisons,  and  (3)  to  give  the  nerve  cells  a  chance 


HOW  THE  BODY  IS  GOVERNED     133 

to  recover,  before  new  work  is  undertaken.  Both 
mental  and  muscular  exertion  are  beneficial  and  not 
harmful,  if  only  the  proper  balance  is  kept  between  work 
and  rest.  A  period  of  work  needs  a  corresponding 
period  of  rest.  A  short  period  of  work  calls  for  only  a 
short  period  of  rest,  but  when  the  working  periods  are 
longer  the  resting  periods  need  to  be  longer  also. 
Experiments  with  bricklayers  and  other  workmen 
recently  showed  that  more  work  was  actually  accom- 
plished when  the  day  was  divided  up  into  short  periods 
of  work  and  rest  than  when  the  whole  day  was  spent 
in  work.  Why,  do  you  think  ? 

There  is  something  else  besides  rest  which  greatly 
assists  the  body  in  purifying  itself  and  so  overcoming 
fatigue.  One  of  the  professors  in  the  Turin  University 
where  Dr.  Mosso  made  his  experiments  tested  his  finger 
with  the  ergograph  one  day,  and  the  next  day  he  tested 
it  again  after  massaging  the  finger  thoroughly  for 
three  minutes.  This  experiment,  many  times  repeated, 
showed  that  the  muscles  were  able  to  do  twice  as  much 
work  after  massage  as  they  were  capable  of  before  it. 
One  day  he  tested  his  finger  after  a  ten-mile  walk  and 
found  that  he  was  able  to  do  only  one  quarter  as  much 
work  with  it  as  before  he  started.  But  when  his  hands 
and  arms  had  been  massaged  for  ten  minutes,  he  could 
do  as  much  as  before  he  went  for  the  walk.  He  esti- 
mated that  two  hours  of  rest  would  have  been  necessary 
to  accomplish  this  result ;  so  massage  had  done  for  him 
in  this  respect  in  ten  minutes  what  rest  would  have 


i34  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

done  in  two  hours.  Massage  benefits  the  nervous 
system  by  increasing  the  circulation  of  the  blood  and 
hastening  the  removal  of  the  toxins  or  poisons. 

HEALTH  PROBLEMS 

1.  Have  you  ever  seen  the  brains  of  a  calf  or  other  animal  ? 
Describe  them. 

2.  Find  out  how  a  telephone  switchboard  operates,  and  tell 
how  the  working  of  the  brain  may  be  compared  to  it. 

3.  Do  you  know  any  persons  who  are  partially  paralyzed  ? 
What  has  caused  their  condition  ? 

4.  Have  you  been  at  the  fire  station  when  an  alarm  of  fire  came 
in  ?     How  did  the  firemen  and  even  the  horses  respond  to  the 
signal  ?     What  has  made  them  so  prompt  ? 

5.  How  long  do  you  think  it  takes  you  to  withdraw  your  hand 
when  you  touch  something  very  hot  ?     Does  your  foot  respond 
as  quickly  ?     Why  ? 

6.  Watch  a  young  child  who  is  learning  to  write.     Describe 
his  appearance  and  his  actions.     What  kind  of  muscular  action 
is  he  performing?     Is  it  the  same  with  the  teacher  who  has  had 
long  practice  ?     Explain.  .,..,,. 

7.  Make  a  list  of  actions  which  were  once  voluntary  for  you 
and  which  have  become  automatic,  or  habitual.     Explain  how 
such  changes  are  made. 

8.  Would  a  person  who  took  gymnastic  exercises  unwillingly 
derive  as  much  benefit  as  a  person  who  took  them  with  interest 
and  enthusiasm  ?     Why  ? 

9.  When  a  person  is  ill  because  cf  poisons  circulating  in  his 
body,  how  does  his  brain  act  ?     Does  he  think  quickly  and  respond 
readily  ?     Why  ?     Mention  a  case  to  illustrate  this. 

10.  Do  you  find  it  as  easy  to  study  in  the  evening  as  in  the 
morning  ?     Why  ?     Do   you   think   children   can   make  as  much 
progress  at  night  school  as  at  day  school  ?     Why  ? 


HOW  THE  BODY  IS  GOVERNED     135 

II.  Can  you  mention  other  ways  of  resting  the  body  besides 
sleeping  ? 

REVIEW  QUESTIONS 

1.  Why  is  the  brain  called  the  "master  organ"? 

2.  Have  you  ever  known  any  one  whose  mind  was  diseased  ? 
How  did  he  act  ? 

3.  Tell  about  the  experiment  with  the  monkey's  brain. 

4.  How  is  voluntary  movement  of  the  body  caused  ? 

5.  Describe  the  brain. 

6.  What  is  meant  by  reaction  ?     How  quickly  does  the  average 
person  react  to  a  signal  ? 

7.  What  things  influence  the  length  of  reaction  time  ?     What 
effect  have  poisons  circulating  in  the  blood  upon  this  ? 

8.  What  is  reflex  action  ?     Give  examples. 

9.  What  is  the  importance  of  forming  good  habits  ? 

10.  How  were  the  muscles  of  the  men  at   Yale   who   simply 
watched  some  gymnastic  exercises  with  interest  affected  ? 

11.  Of  what  importance  is  one's  mental  attitude  in  any  work  ? 
Give  examples  of  this. 

12.  Describe  Dr.  Mosso's    experiment  to  show  the  effects  of 
nerve  fatigue  on  the  muscles. 

13.  Why  should  tired  nerves  mean  lessened  muscular  power? 

14.  When   a   person   has   been   doing  very  hard   brain  work, 
should  he  attempt  to  do  muscular  work  ?     Why  ? 

15.  What  was  noticed  in  the  brains  of  the  pigeons  who  had 
been  flying  all  day  ? 

1 6.  What  does  this  prove  about  the  effect  of  tired  muscles  on 
brain  work  ? 

17.  Why  is  one  dull  and  drowsy  after  a  heavy  meal?     Should 
one  study  immediately  after  a  meal  ? 

1 8.  What  is  the  real  cause  of  weariness  ? 

19.  What  three  things  does  rest  do  for  the  body? 

20.  Of  what  value  is  massage  ?     Why  ? 


CHAPTER  VIII 
THE  MENTAL  FACULTIES 

WE  have  seen  that  muscles  and  nerves  that  remain 
inactive  shrink  and  lose  their  strength.  In  the  same 
way  an  idle  brain  becomes  less  and  less  capable  of  good 
sound  work,  which  means  thinking.  It  frequently  hap- 
pens that  students  of  only  moderate  talents  become 
by  means  of  mental  labor,  men  of  power,  while  highly 
gifted  young  men  who  cease  to  exercise  the  brain  and 
spend  their  time  in  idleness  become  narrow-minded 
and  often  stupid.  Mental  work  preserves  and 
strengthens  the  brain  instead  of  wearing  it  out.  This 
is  shown  by  the  fact  that  the  great  thinkers  and  brain 
workers  of  the  world  usually  reach  advanced  age  with 
their  mental  faculties  clear  and  strong,  while  those 
whose  brains  have  had  little  exercise  are  much  more 
likely  to  become  feeble-minded  in  old  age. 

To  achieve  anything  worth  while  in  study  one  must 
concentrate  upon  the  thing  to  be  understood  or  learned, 
Attention  and  everything  not  connected  with  the  task 
and  in  hand  must  be  shut  out  of  the  mind  so  far 

interest.  a§  pOSS;ble.  jn  hydraulic  mining  the  flow  of 
water  used  would  be  worthless  if  spread  out  in  fine 
spray  over  the  face  of  the  hill  to  be  washed  down.  But 

136 


THE  MENTAL  FACULTIES 


137 


concentrated  in  a  small  stream  its  power  is  very  great, 
tearing  away  earth  and  rock,  and  overcoming  all 
obstacles.  So  with  the  mind :  much  more  is  accom- 
plished when  one  gains  control  of  his  whole  mental 
force  and  directs  it  upon  the  task  before  him. 

How  much  more  clearly  a  thing  is  impressed  upon  the 
mind  when  the  attention  is  directed  to  it  is  shown  in 


IN  HYDRAULIC  MINING,  HILLS  CAN  BE  WASHED  AWAY,  BECAUSE  OF  THE  FORCE 
OF  THE  CONCENTRATED  STREAMS  OF  WATER.  WONDERS  CAN  BE  ACCOM- 
PLISHED WHEN  THE  MENTAL  POWERS  ARE  CONCENTRATED  ON  PROBLEMS. 

what  are  called  "puzzle  pictures."  You  see,  for  in- 
stance, a  landscape  with  a  huntsman  in  it,  and  you  are 
told  to  "find  the  fox."  When  you  first  look  at  the  pic- 
ture the  landscape  and  the  hunter  stand  out  clear  and 
distinct,  but  the  fox  is  nowhere  to  be  seen.  But  when 
you  have  discovered  the  fox  it  seems  to  stand  out  so 
distinctly  that  you  wonder  you  did  not  see  it  at  once. 
Besides  this,  the  picture  which  before  stood  out  so 


138 


MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 


clearly  now  drops  into  the  background  and  is  hardly 
noticeable  while  your  attention  is  directed  to  the  fox. 
Or  you  may  get  the  same  effect  in  a  different  way 
by  fixing  your  attention  upon  one  instrument  in 

an  orchestra. 
That  one  isthen 
heard  clearly 
and  distinctly 
and  seems  to 
stand  out  from 
all  the  rest. 

Concentra- 
tion  of  the 
mind  on  one 
thing  shuts  out 
other  things. 
The  great 
thinkers  of  the 
world  have  pos- 
sessed in  a  high 
degree  this 
power  of  con- 
centration, — 
of  shutting  out 
of  their  minds  everything  but  the  subject  of  study. 
In  Sir  Isaac  Newton,  who  greatly  enriched  the  world 
by  his  wonderful  discoveries,  this  power  of  concen- 
tration was  so  great  that  he  often  did  not  know 
whether  he  had  dined  or  not. 


THIS 


PUPIL     KNOWS    HOW    TO     CONCENTRATE     HER    MIND 
ON    HER   WORK,    AND    SHE    NEVER    FAILS. 


THE  MENTAL  FACULTIES  139 

What  is  it  that  holds  the  attention  in  this  way  ?  It  is 
interest.  You  know  that  when  you  are  reading  a  story 
that  greatly  interests  you,  you  become  so  absorbed  in  it 
that  you  are  quite  unaware  of  all  that  is  taking  place 
around  you.  There  is  never  any  difficulty  in  getting 
any  one  to  pay  attention  to  a  thing  that  interests  him. 
Students  sometimes  find  it  difficult  to  fix  their  atten- 
tion on  their  studies  because  they  are  more  interested 
in  the  things  that  are  taking  place  around  them. 
What  do  you  think  is  likely  to  be  the  result  if  the 
student  permits  picture  after  picture  of  everything  that 
takes  place  within  the  range  of  his  eyes  and  ears  to 
be  impressed  upon  his  mind  ? 

The  effect  of  certain  things  in  preventing  concentra- 
tion of  attention  has  been  determined  by  means  of 
experiments.  Noise  or  confusion  in  the  room  in  which 
the  tests  were  being  made  was  a  source  of  distraction. 
Even  the  playing  of  a  musical  instrument  in  the  room 
was  found  to.  have  this  effect.  When  one  is  weary  it  is 
much  more  difficult  to  fix  the  attention,  and  conse- 
quently the  mental  image  is  not  so  clear,  and  whatever 
one  is  learning  is  much  more  likely  to  be  forgotten 
under  such  conditions. 

Thousands  of  people  fall  into  evil  ways  simply  for 
want  of  wholesome  mental  occupation.      An  unoccupied 
mind  is  like  a  stagnant  pool,  the  water  of  which  Mental 
grows  slimy  and  impure.     Turn  a  lively  brook  activity  a 
into  a   pond   covered  with  green    slime   and  safesuard- 
send  the  water  dancing  over  the  pebbles,  whirling  in 


i4o  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

a  thousand  eddies  and  dashing  over  little  waterfalls, 
and  soon  it  becomes  pure.  If  you  wish  to  be  free  from 
unwholesome  thoughts  and  to  develop  a  character  that 
will  prompt  to  good  and  useful  acts,  fill  the  mind  with 
useful  truths  and  facts  and  keep  it  occupied.  A  boy 
who  had  passed  through  several  reform  schools  and 
could  not  be  retained  in  any  because  of  his  evil  ways 
was  about  to  be  sent  as  a  hopeless  case  to  the  asylum 
for  the  criminally  insane.  The  drawing  master  in  the 
school  in  which  he  then  was,  noticed  that  be  began  to 
show  an  interest  in  drawing,  so  he  asked  the  authorities 
to  wait  a  little  while  and  see  what  this  interest  would 
do  for  the  boy.  With  the  special  help  of  the  master 
the  boy  made  rapid  progress  and  concentrated  his  mind 
on  becoming  an  artist.  From  that  time  there  was 
no  further  trouble  with  him,  and  he  developed  into  a 
useful  citizen. 

In  order  to  test  the  effects  of  thinking  upon  the 
circulation  of  the  blood,  Dr.  Mosso  invented  a  machine 
The  effect  Wl^  a  balancing  table  or  plank,  by  means  of 
of  thinking  which  he  could  test  the  weight  of  the  brain 
on  the  under  different  conditions.  When  a  person 
lying  on  this  table  begins  to  think  hard  the 
head  part  dips  down  a  little,  showing  that  the  head  has 
become  heavier.  The  harder  he  thinks,  as  for  instance 
in  working  out  a  difficult  mathematical  problem,  the 
heavier  his  brain  becomes.  What  do  you  think  is  the 
reason  for  this  ?  You  remember  what  takes  place  in  a 
working  muscle ;  there  is  an  increased  amount  of  blood 


THE  MENTAL   FACULTIES  141 

sent  to  it  to  supply  the  energy  for  the  work.  The  same 
thing  takes  place  in  the  brain.  What  should  you  expect 
to  be  the  position  of  the  balancing  board  when  the 
person  lying  on  it  is  asleep  ?  The  blood  then  recedes 
from  the  brain,  and  the  head,  becoming  lighter,  goes 
up  and  the  feet  go  down. 

Since  the  brain  and  nerves  get  all  their  energy,  their 
working  power,  from  the  blood,  you  can  see  that  the 
quality  of  the  brain  work  must  depend  in  some 
degree  upon  the  quality  of  the  blood.  Any-  nerves  an(j 
thing  that  impoverishes  the  blood  or  makes  it  brain  de- 
impure  will  affect  the  nervous  system  and 
make  it  impossible  for  the  brain  to  do  the  best 
work  of  which  it  is  capable.  Alcohol  and  tobacco,  and 
the  toxins  or  poisons  formed  in  the  body  when  present 
in  the  blood  in  excess,  may  have  an  irritating  or  paralyz- 
ing effect  upon  the  nerve  cells.  This  explains  the 
irritability,  the  despondency,  the  indecision,  and 
even  the  moral  depravity  which  are  sometimes  de- 
veloped in  persons  whom  one  would  least  expect  to 
exhibit  such  bad  traits.  Also  eating  too  much  and 
indigestion  may  produce  giddiness,  inability  to  think, 
and  mental  confusion. 

A  distinguished  man  of  science  has  said  :  "When  we 
think,  it  is  not  alone  the  mind  that  thinks,  it  is  the 
whole  man,  and  the  process  begins  with  the  body. 
.  .  .  The  bodily  condition  strikes  through  and  shows  it- 
self in  the  quality  of  the  thought.  The  body  lies  at 
the  base  of  success  in  all  respects." 


142 


MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 


tions  and 
their  effects 
upon  the 
body. 

If,  for 


When  we  speak  of  the  emotions,  we  generally  refer 
to  joy,  courage,  anger,  fear,  sorrow,  and  so  on.     The 
The  emo-     influence  of  these  states  of  mind  may  be  seen 
upon  our  own  bodies  at  almost  any  moment. 
You  can  easily  see  that  each  of  the  emotions 
can  be  at  once  detected  by  its  physical  signs, 
instance,  you  see  a  child  laugh  and  clap  his 

hands   and   skip   about,  you 

know  that  something  has  oc- 
curred to  make  him  happy 
or  joyful. 

Happiness  benefits  all  the 
functions  of  the  body  by  its 
influence  upon  the  nerve  cen- 
ters that  control  the  body. 
You  know  already  of  the 
effects  of  a  happy  state  of 
mind  upon  the  digestive  or- 
gans, —  how  it  increases  the 
secretion  of  the  digestive 
juices  and  helps  along  the 
work  of  digestion.  The  nerves 
that  control  the  small  blood 
vessels  are  affected  in  such  a 
way  that  they  cause  the  ves- 
sels to  expand  so  that  the  blood  may  flow  easily 
through  them.  Happiness  also  affects  the  nerves  that 
control  the  heart  so  that  it  beats  faster  and  sends  the 
blood  rapidly  through  the  expanded  vessels.  This 


YOU    KNOW    THAT    SOMETHING    HAS 
OCCURRED   TO    MAKE    HIM    LAUGH. 


THE  MENTAL  FACULTIES  143 

results  in  increased  nourishment  to  all  the  tissues. 
We  often  say  that  fat  people  are  jovial,  but  perhaps  we 
ought  to  reverse  this  and  say  that  jovial  people  are  fat ; 
at  any  rate,  they  are  more  likely  to  be  so  than  those 
who  are  unhappy.  The  brain  also  shares  in  the  bene- 
fits of  the  increased  allowance  of  blood,  thus  producing 
a  flow  of  thought  and  of  ideas  and  a  quickness  to  form 
decisions  and  to  carry  them  out. 

A  happy  person  feels  light  and  springy  and  has  a 
desire  for  motion,  and  this  is  why  the  happy  child 
dances  and  claps  its  hands.  A  happy  person  has,  if 
other  things  are  equal,  more  endurance  than  an  un- 
happy one. 

"A  merry  heart  goes  all  the  way; 
A  sad  one  tires  in  half  a  day." 

Laughter,  as  you  might  guess,  has  a  distinct  health 
value.  It  expands  the  chest  and  forces  out  the  bad 
air  from  the  least-used  air  cells  at  the  apex  of  the  lungs. 
It  is  also  a  healthful  tonic  for  the  stomach  and  liver, 
and  so  it  aids  digestion.  It  increases  the  circulation 
and  so  produces  warmth. 

You  see  that  all  the  physical  effects  of  happiness  are 
healthful.  So  the  things  that  help  to  make  one  happy, 
-love,  trust,  useful  and  congenial  work,  pleasant 
surroundings  and  associations,  a  contented  mind,  and 
such  things,  —  are  a  help  to  the  body.  "A  merry 
heart  doeth  good  like  a  medicine." 

The  physical  effects  of  sorrow  or  depression  of  mind 


144  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

are,  as  we  should  expect,  exactly  the  opposite  to  those 
of  happiness.     Its  outward  signs  we  see  in  the 

Emotions        ,    „  ,      , 

dull   countenance   and  the   slow   movements 


weaken  the  which  are  due  to  its  effects  upon  the  muscular 
svstem-  The  free  action  of  the  diaphragm 
and  the  expansion  of  the  chest  are  interfered 
with,  as  shown  by  the  frequent  sighing.  The  secretions 
are  diminished,  and  this  interferes  with  digestion. 
The  heart  beats  slower  and  the  blood  does  not  circulate 
so  well.  The  diminished  blood  supply  to  the  brain 
shows  itself  in  mental  dullness  and  lassitude  and  in  a 
lack  of  desire  to  do  any  mental  work. 

The  physical  signs  of  fear  or  terror  are  very  apparent. 
The  face  is  pale  and  the  skin  cold,  because  the  blood  is 
driven  away  from  it  by  the  contraction  of  the  blood 
vessels  in  the  skin.  The  sudden  emptying  of  the  skin 
of  its  blood  is  thought  to  be  the  cause  of  the  rapid 
whitening  or  loss  of  hair  as  a  result  of  extreme  fright. 
An  Italian  physiologist,  Mantegazza,  vouches  for  the 
fact  that  the  celebrated  lion  tamer,  Faime,  lost  His  hair 
the  night  following  a  struggle  for  life  with  a  lion  in  its 
cage.  The  effects  of  fear  upon  the  voluntary  muscles 
may  be  such  as  completely  to  paralyze  one  and  make 
him  incapable  of  speech  or  motion.  While  the  first 
effect  of  fear  is  usually  increased  activity  of  the  heart, 
or  palpitation,  overwhelming  terror  seems  to  be  able 
to  stop  the  heart  and  so  to  produce  sudden  'death. 
The  secretions  seem  to  be  wholly  arrested  in  a  terrified 
person  so  that  the  mouth  becomes  dry  and  the  tongue 


THE  MENTAL  FACULTIES  145 

cleaves  to  the  palate.  Fear  is  capable  of  producing 
long-continued  and  even  incurable  maladies.  What  do 
you  think  about  deliberately  frightening  people  as  a 
"joke?" 

An  angry  cat  affords  a  striking  example  of  the  effects 
of  anger  or  rage  upon  the  body.  Her  back  is  elevated 
and  every  hair  stands  on  end,  until  she  seems  to  have 
swelled  to  twice  her  size.  The  effects  of  anger  are  just 
as  apparent  in  the  human  being,  though  they  are  of  a 
different  nature.  There  is  a  rush  of  blood  to  the  skin 
with  redness  and  heat.  The  offended  person  "burns 
with  anger/'  his  "blood  boils,"  we  say,  and  he  needs 
to  "cool  his  wrath."  The  mucous  membrane  is  so 
charged  with  blood  that  the  eyes  are  red,  and  in  some 
cases  there  is  bleeding  from  the  nose  in  a  fit  of  passion. 
The  blood  vessels  are  enlarged,  as  can  be  seen  in  the 
neck  and  hands.  Anger  also  expresses  itself  in  strong 
and  rapid  motion,  but  the  movements  are  very  irregu- 
lar. One  may  in  these  violent  movements  do  himself 
injury  without  being  aware  of  it.  He  may  with  no 
sensation  of  pain  tear  his  hair  or  bite  his  lips  until 
they  bleed.  In  a  desperate  fight  the  combatants  are 
sometimes  unaware  of  injuries  received,  due  to  the 
abnormal  condition  of  the  nervous  system. 

It  is  particularly  injurious  to  eat  while  angry.  An 
angry  person  usually  has  no  appetite.  That  rage  has  a 
poisonous  effect  upon  the  system  is  shown  in  the  fact 
often  quoted  that  after  a  violent  fit  of  anger  in  a  nursing 
mother  the  baby  may  'go  into  convulsions,  having  been 


146  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

poisoned  by  the  milk.  The  babe  is  made  sick  because 
the  milk  is  poisoned.  The  poison  passes  into  the  milk 
from  the  blood.  The  brain  and  every  other  organ  is 
bathed  with  poisoned  blood.  So  when  a  person  be- 
comes angry,  he  is  poisoned.  A  frequent  repetition  of 
attacks  of  anger  may  lead  to  hardening  of  the  arteries 
and  high  blood  pressure. 

You  can  now  see  the  importance  of  cultivating  for 
one's  own  sake  as  well  as  for  the  sake  of  others,  the 
helpful  emotions,  —  cheerfulness,  contentment,  cour- 
age and  good  temper,  avoiding  as  far  as  possible  the 
unhealthful  states,  —  depression,  anxiety,  fear,  anger, 
and  hatred.  This  is  just  as  important  a  law  of  health  as 
any  other  that  we  have  studied. 

HEALTH  PROBLEMS 

1.  What  would  happen  to  a  muscle  if  it  were  never   used? 
What  would  happen  to  certain  parts  of  the  brain  if  they  were 
never  used  ? 

2.  In  what  kind  of  place  do  you  like  best  to  study  ?     Why  are 
whispering  and  making  other  noises  forbidden  in  most  schools  ? 

3.  Have  you  ever  noticed  how  hard  it  is  to  study  on  a  blustery 
day  when  the  wind  roars  outside  and  the  shades  rattle  within  ? 
Why  is  this  ? 

4.  What  do  you  mean  by  concentration?     Under  what   con- 
ditions can  you  concentrate  most  easily  ? 

5.  Perhaps  you  have  noticed  that  you  find  it  difficult  to  add 
long  columns  of  figures  if  there  are  many  people  talking  or  moving 
about  in  the  room ;  yet  you  have  seen  bookkeepers  in  busy,  noisy 
offices   adding   readily   and   correctly  without   trouble.     Explain 
how  they  can  do  this. 

6.  Describe  Professor  Mosso's  method  of  weighing  the  effects 


THE  MENTAL  FACULTIES  147 

of  work  with  the  brain.     What  time  of  the  day  do  you  think  your 
brain  would  be  the  heaviest  ?     When  the  lightest  ? 

7.  Do  you  know  any  one  who  constantly  takes  poisons  into  his 
system  or  who  habitually  eats  too  much  ?     Has  he  a  happy  dis- 
position ?     A  powerful  mind  ? 

8.  Describe  a  person  who  is  terrified.     Should  children  ever  be 
frightened  as  a  joke  or  as  a  way  to  "make  them  mind"  ? 

9.  Describe  a  person  when  he  is  very  angry.      Describe  him 
when  he  is  happy. 

10.  Do  you  think  one  should  let  his  thoughts  dwell  on  illness 
and  sorrow,  or  try  to  keep  his  mind  on  happiness  and  success  ? 
Why? 

REVIEW  QUESTIONS 

1 .  What  is  the  best  way  to  strengthen  the  mind  ? 

2.  What  happens  to  even  a  brilliant  mind  that  is  not  exercised  ? 

3.  Why  is  careless  or  indifferent  study  of  no  value? 

4.  What  is  meant  by  cramming  for  an  examination  ?     Is  it  a 
good  practice  ?     Why  ? 

5.  Explain  the  term  concentration.     Of  what  value  is  concen- 
tration in  study  ? 

6.  Do  you  learn  things  in  which  you  are  interested  more  easily 
than  things  in  which  you  are  not  ?     Why  ? 

7.  What  effect  does  noise  and  confusion  have  upon  the  mind  ? 

8.  Why  are  busy,  hard-working  people  seldom  vicious  ? 

9.  Why  is  a  person  irritable  and  dull  when  his  blood  is  impure  ? 

10.  Why  does  the  brain  weigh  more  when  one  is  doing  hard 
thinking  than  when  he  is  asleep  ? 

n.  Explain  the  statement  that  "the  body  lies  at  the  base  of 
success." 

12.  What  is  the  effect  of  sorrow  on  the  body?  of  happiness? 
of  fear  ?  of  anger  ? 

13.  Of  what  value  is  laughter? 

14.  What  is  said  of  the  practice  of  angering  or  frightening  a 
person  "for  the  fun  of  it"  ? 


CHAPTER  IX 
DECEIVING  THE  NERVES  AND  THE  MIND 

FOR  centuries  multitudes  of  people  were  accustomed 
to  take  alcohol  under  the  impression  that  it  increased 
their  working  capacity.  They  felt  as  though  they  were 
able  to  do  more  and  better  work  after  taking  it.  We 
have  now  come,  however,  to  an  age  of  science  when 
people  are  no  longer  content  with  judging  by  feeling 
or  appearance.  In  all  departments  of  life  exact  knowl- 
edge, gained  by  means  of  accurate  tests  and  experiments, 
is  being  substituted  for  mere  guesswork.  One  of  the 
things  that  has  been  most  carefully  and  thoroughly 
tested  by  numerous  scientists  is  the  effect  of  alcohol 
upon  the  tissues  of  the  body,  and  especially  upon  its 
efficiency.  Is  alcohol  a  help  or  a  hindrance  to  body 
and  mind  ? 

One  of  the  experimenters  as  to  the  effects  of  alcohol 
was  Dr.  Hodge.  You  already  know  something  about 
Lessening  the  four  dogs  that  were  the  subjects  of  his  ex- 
courage,  periments.  He  came  to  the  conclusion  that 

ambition,         ,      .     .    .  .          _  r    . 

and  work-  alcohol  has  the  effect  of  destroying  courage, 
ing  power,  as  well  as  lessening  ambition  and  working 
capacity.  Dr.  Hodge  says  further  that  "In  setting 

us 


DECEIVING  THE  NERVES  AND  THE  MIND    149 

type,  adding  figures,  learning  by  rote,  or  doing  any  fine 
mechanical  work,  the  man  under  the  influence  of  even 
small  doses  of  alcohol  feels  that  he  is  working  easily 
and  rapidly — because  his  sense  of  fatigue  and  difficulty 
is  paralyzed ;  but  when  measured  and  tested  with 
scientific  accuracy,  his  performances  are  always  found 
to  be  slower  and  poorer  in  quality  then  when  no  alcohol 
is  taken."  What  influence  would  such  an  effect  be 
likely  to  have  upon  a  person's  career  ? 

That  alcohol  has  the  same  effect  upon  human  beings 
as  upon  dogs  in  destroying  energy  and  ambition,  the 
characteristics  that  make  for  success,  is  shown  in  the 
observations  of  a  German  nerve  specialist,  Dr.  Hugo 
Hoppe.  Speaking  of  the  "moderate"  use  of  beer  he 
says :  "Thousands  and  tens  of  thousands  who  take 
their  daily  pint  are  rendered  stupid,  silly,  and  dissolute 
by  beer.  They  will  probably  still  transact  regularly 
the  daily  business  or  routine  of  office  to  which  they  have 
become  accustomed,  but  without  special  exertion, 
half  automatically,  like  machines.  For  any  further 
exertion,  however,  for  improvement  or  for  more  pro- 
ductive activity,  they  lack  the  desire,  the  initiative, 
the  energy."  Do  you  think  that  such  "machines" 
are  likely  to  make  much  advancement  ?  A  lawyer  who 
became  President  of  the  United  States,  William  H.  Taft, 
once  said  :  "  He  who  drinks  is  deliberately  disqualifying 
himself  for  advancement.  I  refuse  to  take  such  a  risk. 
I  do  not  drink." 

That  alcohol  does  not  increase  but  instead  lessens 


150  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

working  power  was  observed  years  ago  by  Sir  J.  Ross, 
Alcohol  when  he  commanded  an  expedition  to  the  Arc- 
lessens  tic  regions.  He  noticed  that  he  was  able  to 
working  stand  the  cold  better  than  the  officers  or  crew, 
although  he  was  twenty  years  older  than  any 
of  them,  and  he  put  this  down  to  the  fact  that  they 
used  spirits  and  tobacco  while  he  did  not.  After  a  time 
they  had  to  abandon  the  ship  and  leave  behind  all  the 
wines  and  spirits.  Then  they  had,  as  he  said,  "the 
most  irresistible  proof  of  the  value  of  abstinence.  It 
was  remarkable  how  much  stronger  and  more  able  the 
men  were  to  do  their  work  when  they  had  nothing  but 
water  to  drink." 

The  same  thing  is  seen  in  warm  climates  as  well  as 
in  cold.  Sven  Hedin,  the  Asiatic  explorer,  says:  "In 
a  caravan  a  drop  of  wine  or  brandy  should  not  be 
found.  To  be  dependent  on  these  things  is  a  curse 
and  especially  objectionable  on  a  journey  which  de- 
mands great  exertion.  The  people,  whether  inside  or 
outside  the  borders  of  civilization,  who  abstain  from 
alcohol,  are  the  most  competent  and  effective  workers  " 

In  giving  evidence  before  the  Inter-departmental 
Committee  on  Physical  Deterioration,  Dr.  Robert 
Jones  said  that  alcohol  "especially  affects  the  motor 
system,  and  creates  an  enormous  loss  to  the  commu- 
nity by  destroying  the  productiveness  of  the  skilled  crafts- 
man" To  determine  the  effects  of  alcohol  in  this 
respect  Dr.  Aschaffenburg  carried  on  some  experiments 
with  skilled  typesetters.  One  day  they  worked  as 


DECEIVING  THE  NERVES  AND  THE  MIND    151 

fast  as  they  could  for  fifteen  minutes  and  a  record  was 
made  of  the  amount  of  work  done.  The  next  day  they 
were  given  a  little  more  than  an  ounce  of  alcohol  a 
quarter  of  an  hour  before  beginning  work.  Three  out 
of  the  four  men  tested  did  less  work  after  taking  the 
alcohol  than  on  the  previous  day.  There  was  a  differ- 
ence of  about  ten  per  cent  in  the  amount  done.  This 
would  mean,  of  course,  that  they  would  earn  ten  per 
cent  less  on  days  when  even  such  a  small  quantity  of 
alcohol  was  taken,  since  their  work  was  paid  for  by 
measurement. 

A  strange  thing  about  this  experiment  was  that  the 
men  actually  felt  able  to  do  more,  and  thought  they  were 
doing  more,  on  the  days  when  they  had  taken  How  alco_ 
alcohol,  when  the  actual  fact  was  that  they  hoi  affects 
did    considerably   less.     This    shows    us   the  thejudg- 
deceiving  effect  of  alcohol  upon  the  mind. 
The  powers  by  which  judgments  are  formed  are  dead- 
ened, so  that  one  is  no  longer  capable  of  forming  a  correct 
opinion  of  his  own  acts.     On  this  point  Professor  Sims 
Woodhead,  of  Cambridge  University,  says :    "A  man 
under  the  influence  of  srnall  quantities  of  alcohol  has  no 
right  to  believe  his  own  senses.     He  cannot  trust  them  to 
give  him  correct   facts,  and  he  cannot  rely  upon   his 
judgment  for  the  interpretation  of  facts."     Is  such  a 
man  fit  to  hold  a  reliable  position  that  calls  for  sound 
judgment  ? 

Another  thing  noticeable  in  experiments  with  alcohol 
on  workers  was  that  on  the  alcohol  days  they  made 


152  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

a  much  larger  percentage  of  mistakes  than  they  did  on  the 
other  days,  a  result  which  shows  the  effects  of  alcohol 
upon  the  ability  to  work  accurately. 

Some  very  important  experiments  on  alcohol  have 
been  made  by  European  investigators.  In  these  tests 
Some  con-  tne  subject  placed  each  hand  upon  a  telegraph 
elusive  ex-  key,  and  one  key  or  the  other  must  be  pressed 
penments.  promptjy  according  as  he  saw  a  red  or  a  white 
light.  The  subject  had  first  to  recognize  the  color  of 
the  light,  then  recall  which  hand  was  to  act  in  response 
to  that  color,  and  then  he  had  to  act  as  promptly  as 
possible.  You  can  see  that  the  conditions  are  much  the 
same  as  when  a  locomotive  engineer  sees  an  unexpected 
signal  light.  When  a  glass  of  beer  was  drunk  by  the 
subject  before  these  tests  were  made,  "on  the  average 
the  keys  were  released  more  rapidly  than  before  the 
alcohol  was  taken,  but  the  wrong  key  was  much  more 
frequently  released  than  under  normal  conditions." 

A  person  under  the  influence  of  alcohol  is  likely  to 
perform  rash  and  hasty  actions  because  the  capacity 
to  think  clearly  and  to  judge  correctly  is  dulled  or 
deadened.  By  paralyzing  the  higher  centers  of  the 
brain  alcohol  allows  a  man  to  say  and  do  things  that 
his  good  judgment  would  prevent  him  from  doing. 

Ex-President  Eliot  of  Harvard  University  tells  the 
following  little  story  showing  the  effects  of  alcohol  on 
the  quickness  of  action  :  "  I  had  occasion  to  know  about 
the  time  reaction  of  a  famous  pugilist  whose  habitual 
residence  was  not  far  from  this  spot.  He  was  expecting 


DECEIVING  THE  NERVES  AND  THE  MIND    153 

to  fight  in  a  city  at  some  distance  from  Boston.  The 
appointment  was  made,  but  he  had  been  on  a  succes- 
sion of  sprees ;  his  trainer  could  not  control  him ; 
he  was  under  the  influence  of  alcohol  a  great  part  of  the 
time.  He  was  brought  to  Cambridge  and  his  time 
reaction  was  tested.  It  was  very  slow.  Now,  this 
man  had  always  been  famous  for  the  quickness  of  his 
time  reaction.  A  pugilist  has  need  to  have  a  very  short 
time  reaction.  He  must  see  by  the  motion  of  his 
opponent's  fist  just  where  he  is  going  to  strike  and  put 
his  own  arm  in  the  way  quickly.  A  slow  time  reaction 
is  fatal  to  a  pugilist  or  fencer  or  runner.  The  effect  of 
alcohol  on  the  time  reaction  of  the  human  being  has 
been  studied  carefully,  tested  in  hundreds  of  thousands 
of  cases,  and  there  is  no  question  about  the  ill-effect  of 
alcohol  even  in  very  moderate  doses  on  the  time  reac- 
tion. That  means  that  alcohol  in  very  moderate 
doses  diminishes  the  efficiency  of  the  working  man  in 
most  instances,  makes  him  incapable  of  doing  his  best 
in  the  work  of  the  day." 

How  long  the  effects  of  alcohol  upon  the  working  ca- 
pacity last  was  shown  by  some  experiments  by  Professor 
Purer.  A  person  was  tested  for  several  days,  at  the 
same  hour  each  day,  as  to  reaction  time,  the  association 
of  ideas,  the  ability  to  memorize,  and  facility  in  adding. 
He  was  then  allowed  to  drink  two  liters  of  beer  in  the 
course  of  a  day.  Outwardly  this  had  no  effect  upon 
him,  but  the  tests  showed  very  marked  effects  in  every 
particular.  There  was  disturbance  of  all  his  faculties, 


154  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

more  difficulty  in  memorizing,  and  lessened  facility  in 
adding.  These  effects  were  seen  not  only  on  that  day, 
but  on  succeeding  days  as  well.  It  was  not  until  the 
third  day  that  the  tests  showed  a  complete  restora- 
tion, although  the  subject  himself  felt  no  ill  effects. 

Since  the  effects  of  alcohol  continue  for  a  day  or  two 
after  the  day  on  which  it  is  taken,  what  do  you  think 
must  be  the  effect  if  it  is  taken  every  day  ?  There  is, 
of  course,  a  piling  up  of  its  effects  upon  the  mental 
powers  and  the  working  capacity.  This  was  shown  by 
some  tests  made  by  Dr.  Emil  Krapelin,  Professor  of 
Mental  Diseases  in  the  University  of  Munich.  He 
tested  some  of  the  students  without  alcohol  for  six 
days,  half  an  hour  each  day,  as  to  their  ability  to  add  up 
figures.  Then  for  twelve  successive  days  alcohol  was 
given  to  them.  It  was  found  that  as  a  result  of  this 
their  speed  gradually  lessened.  They  worked  more  and 
more  slowly,  until  by  the  thirteenth  day  the  working 
capacity  of  their  minds  was  lessened  by  from  twenty- 
five  to  forty  per  cent.  That  is,  in  some  cases  it  was  only 
a  little  more  than  half  what  it  was  when  no  alcohol 
was  taken.  But  as  soon  as  the  students  stopped  taking 
alcohol,  their  work  began  to  improve.  Dr.  Krapelin 
conducted  a  large  number  of  very  carefully  planned 
experiments,  making  them  over  dozens  of  times  so 
that  his  conclusions  were  determined  with  great  cer- 
tainty. In  each  case  under  the  influence  of  alcohol 
the  individual  did  less  and  poorer  work.  Although 
curiously  enough  in  his  half-intoxicated  condition  he 


DECEIVING  THE  NERVES  AND  THE   MIND    155 

thought  he  was  turning  out  more  and  better  work  than 
usual. 

In  view  of  all  these  things  it  would  certainly  be 
surprising  if  employers  did  not  make  a  distinction 
between  those  who  use  alcohol  and  those  who  _, 

People 

do  not,  and  much  prefer  to  employ  the  latter,  who  use 
Alcohol  has  become  more  and  more  of  a  handi- 


!  *          .  .   .  wanted. 

cap  to  a  man  in  getting  and  keeping  a  position, 
as  its  effects  upon  the  working  capacity  are  becoming 
more  widely  known.  Employers  know  that  the  man 
who  dulls  his  brain  and  undermines  his  health  by 
alcohol  will  do  less  work  and  be  more  likely  to  make 
mistakes  than  the  man  who  does  not  drink.  They 
dare  not  trust  their  business  to  such  a  man.  Several 
years  ago  the  United  States  Department  of  Labor  found 
that  already  ninety  per  cent  of  railroads,  seventy-nine 
per  cent  of  manufactories,  eighty-eight  per  cent  of 
trades,  and  seventy-two  per  cent  of  farmers,  discrimi- 
nated against  employees  who  used  intoxicating  liquor. 
Marshall  Field  and  Co.,  of  Chicago,  not  long  ago 
expressed  what  is  the  attitude  of  most  large  business 
firms  on  this  question,  when  they  said,  "Even  though 
a  man  should  apply  for  a  position  whose  ability  and 
other  all-round  qualifications  would  seem  to  fit  him 
for  the  place,  if  we  knew  or  discovered  that  he  was 
a  drinking  man,  we  should  decline  to  consider  his 
application.  Any  man  in  our  employ  who  acquires 
the  habit  of  drink,  even  though  moderately,  is  to  a 
certain  extent  marked  down  in  our  estimation,  and 


156  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

unless  we  can  remove  from  him  this  serious  fault,  and 
show  him  his  error,  we  feel  compelled  to  do  without 
his  services." 

In  recent  years  the  man  in  any  line  of  work  whose 
breath  has  smelt  of  alcohol  and  who  has  made  a  habit 
of  dropping  into  saloons  has  usually  found  it  hard  either 
to  secure  or  keep  a  position. 

A  wealthy  factory  owner  was  endeavoring  to  close 
a  saloon  opposite  his  factory.  The  governor  of  the 
state  asked  him  what  was  his  reason  for  doing  this. 
The  reply  was,  "Governor,  it's  not  a  moral  standard 
with  me  at  all ;  it's  economic.  My  men  are  worth 
fifty  per  cent  more  to  me  on  Monday  morning  if  that 
saloon  is  closed  over  Sunday." 

Some  tests  have  been  made  in  Sweden  with  picked 
marksmen  taken  from  among  the  soldiers,  to  find  out 
Effects  of  ^  alcohol  had  any  effect  in  increasing  or  de- 
aicohoion  creasing  their  ability  to  shoot.  It  was  found 
marksman-  tnat  jn  every  instance  the  men  did  their  best 

work  —  quickest  firing  and  best  hitting  - 
when  they  had  had  no  alcohol  for  several  days.  In 
his  report  the  staff-surgeon  said:  "When  under 
alcohol  the  result  was  thirty  per  cent  less  hits  in  quick 
fire,  and  the  men  always  thought  they  were  shooting 
faster,  whilst  actually  they  shot  much  more  slowly." 

This  work  especially  demands  steadiness  of  nerve, 
and  alcohol,  as  you  know,  has  a  marked  effect  upon 
the  nervous  system.  This  is  doubtless  the  reason 
why  the  Secretary  of  War  forbade  the  sale  of  alcoholic 


DECEIVING  THE  NERVES  AND  THE  MIND    157 

beverages  to  the  soldiers  of  our  army  while  in  this 
country,  and  prohibited  the  maintenance  of  a  saloon 
or  a  bar  within  five  miles  of  any  army  camp  or  canton- 
ment. The  good  results  of  these  measures  have  been 
shown  in  the  remarkable  efficiency  of  the  American 
army,  which  proved  itself  superior  to  any  other  great 
army  which  has  ever  engaged  in  conflict,  both  in  the 
rapidity  with  which  the  raw  recruits  were  prepared 
for  active  duty  and  in  the  degree  of  efficiency  shown 
in  battle. 

The  generals  who  commanded  the  forces  of  the  Allies 
in  the  Great  War  were  unanimous  in  the  opinion  that 
alcohol  lessens  the  efficiency  of  the  soldier  and  that 
total  abstinence  is  essential  as  a  means  of  protecting 
the  soldier  against  disease.  The  death  rate  of  Ameri- 
can soldiers  was  less  than  has  ever  before  been  known 
in  a  large  army. 

Until  very  recent  times,  the  daily  rations  of  the 
soldier  included  a  certain  quantity  of  rum  or  whiskey. 
It  was  supposed  to  be  necessary  to  fortify  him  against 
fatigue  and  hardships  and  to  aid  him  on  his  tedious 
marches  and  especially  to  give  him  courage  in  battle. 
But  now  it  is  so  well  proved  that  alcohol  can  do  none 
of  these  things,  but  does  the  very  opposite  instead,  that 
alcohol  not  only  is  no  longer  served  to  soldiers  in  their 
rations,  but  every  pains  is  taken  to  prevent  soldiers 
from  getting  it. 

In  Russia  the  manufacture  and  sale  of  alcohol  is  a 
government  monopoly.  At  the  outbreak  of  the  war, 


158  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

the  Czar  of  Russia  issued  an  edict  prohibiting  the 
manufacture  or  sale  of  vodka,  the  national  alcoholic 
beverage,  and  so  the  whole  Russian  people  including 
the  army  at  once  became  a  nation  of  abstainers.  In 
France  the  sale  of  absinthe  has  been  stopped.  England 
supplies  no  alcohol  to  her  soldiers  and  the  government 
requests  citizens  not  to  " treat"  soldiers  when  visiting 
their  friends.  The  King  of  England  set  his  soldiers 
an  example  of  total  abstinence,  as  did  the  President  of 
the  United  States.  Some  years  ago  the  sale  of  liquor 
in  the  canteens  of  the  United  States  army  was  pro- 
hibited, and  more  recently  alcoholic  beverages  were  ex- 
cluded from  battleships  and  other  naval  vessels. 

Dr.  Lorenz,  the  famous  Austrian  surgeon  who  was 
paid  a  great  sum  to  come  to  this  country  to  perform 
a  single  operation,  said:  "My  success  depends  upon 
my  brain's  being  clear,  my  muscles  firm,  and  my  nerves 
steady.  No  one  can  take  alcoholic  liquor  without 
blunting  these  physical  powers  which  I  must  keep  on 
edge.  As  a  surgeon  I  must  not  drink." 

Another  famous  surgeon,  Sir  Frederick  Treves,  said  : 
"The  best  of  physical  condition  is  impossible  if  any 
alcohol  is  used.  Its  stimulating  effects  are  only  mo- 
mentary, and  after  that  the  capacity  for  work  falls 
enormously.  No  man  is  at  his  best  who  works  on 
even  a  moderate  amount  of  alcohol.  Fine  work  can 
not  be  done  under  that  condition." 

All  the  new  evidence  with  regard  to  alcohol  shows 
that  it  is  not  a  stimulant,  as  was  formerly  supposed, 


DECEIVING  THE  NERVES  AND  THE  MIND    159 

but  that  its  effects  are  benumbing  and  narcotic.  Its 
supposed  stimulating  effect  in  removing  the  feeling  of 
fatigue  is  really  due  to  its  putting  to  sleep  the  nerves 
that  indicate  fatigue.  Fatigue  is  nature's  way  of 
telling  us  that  the  body  requires  rest.  What  the 
alcohol  does  is  to  make  one  unconscious  of  fatigue  so 
that  he  tries  to  get  more  work  out  of  an  exhausted  body. 

The   records  of  benefit   societies  in  Australia  show 
that  in  those  societies  that  admit  only  abstainers  the 
average  time  lost  by  the  members  through  Loss  of 
sickness  is  only  a  little  over  half  as  much  time 
as    in    those    societies   that    admit    drinkers. 
This    you    would,    of    course,    expect    when  caused  by 
you  consider  all  the  effects  of  alcohol  upon  alcohol, 
the  body  and  the  mind. 

Alcohol  causes  the  tissues  of  the  body  to  degenerate 
in  two  ways.  In  what  is  called  fatty  degeneration, 
the  living  substance  of  the  cell  is  gradually  replaced 
by  fat  so  that  the  organs  are  weakened  and  unable 
to  do  their  work.  The  muscles  of  the  heart  and  the 
kidneys  and  the  liver  may  be  affected  in  this  way. 
In  fibroid  degeneration,  there  is  an  abnormal  growth 
of  connective  tissue  in  the  organs.  This  may  take 
place  in  the  muscular  coat  of  the  arteries,  in  the  heart, 
and  in  the  brain.  Alcohol  may  cause  heart  disease, 
Bright's  disease  of  the  kidneys,  hardening  of  the 
arteries  and  of  the  liver,  and  apoplexy,  due  to  a  rupture 
of  a  blood  vessel  in  the  brain. 

There  is  another  way  in  which  alcohol  causes  sick- 


160  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

ness,  besides  by  these  direct  injuries  to  the  tissues. 
We  know  that  soldiers  are  much  more  efficient  when 
kept  without  alcohol,  and  this  is  true  of  the  little 
soldiers  that  defend  the  body  against  enemies,  —  the 
white  blood  cells.  Professor  Metchnikoff,  who  has 
told  us  most  of  what  we  know  about  the  activities  of 
these  tiny  cells,  says :  "  Besides  its  harmful  influence 
on  the  nervous  system  and  other  important  parts  of 
our  body,  alcohol  exerts  a  damaging  influence  on  the 
white  blood  cells,  the  agents  of  natural  defense  against 
infective  microbes."  Alcohol  poisons  these  little  sol- 
diers and  deadens  or  destroys  their  fighting  power, 
so  that  they  are  easily  conquered  by  disease-producing 
microbes.  The  result  is  that  people  who  take  alcohol 
are  much  more  liable  to  infectious  diseases  such  as 
pneumonia,  tuberculosis,  and  typhoid  fever  than  are 
abstainers. 

You  know  that  in  acute  diseases  the  chances  of 
recovery  depend  very  much  upon  the  condition  of 
the  heart.  A  person  with  a  heart  weakened  by  alcohol 
is  much  more  likely  to  succumb  to  disease  than  a  person 
with  a  strong,  sound  heart.  So  you  see  that  one  who 
uses  alcohol  is  as  a  general  thing  more  likely  to  take 
disease  and  less  likely  to  recover  from  it  than  one  who 
does  not.  Death  by  violence  or  by  accident  is  also 
more  likely  to  overtake  one  who  is  under  the  influence 
of  alcohol  than  one  whose  senses  are  keen  and  alert 
and  his  muscles  steady.  All  these  things  being  con- 
sidered, you  will  not  be  surprised  to  learn  that  it  is 


DECEIVING  THE  NERVES  AND  THE  MIND    161 

estimated  that  7500  of  150^000  deaths  that  have  taken 
place  in  this  country  each  year — about  one-twentieth 
have  been  due  either  directly  or  indirectly  toalcohol. 

You  will  now  understand  why  agitation  against  the 
use  of  alcoholic  beverages  gradually  spread  all  over  the 
country  until,  in  1920,  after  three-fourths  of  the  states 
had  voted  in  favor  of  a  law  against  the  manufacture  and 
sale  of  intoxicating  drinks,  the  Eighteenth  Amendment 
was  added  to  our  Constitution  and  prohibition  went 
into  effect  throughout  the  United  States. 

We  conclude  our  study  of  the  'effects  of  alcohol  by 
quoting  the  words  of  Dr.  Henry  Smith  Williams,  ad- 
dressed to  users  of  alcohol:  "I  am  bound  to  believe,  in 
the  light  of  what  science  has  revealed  (i)  That  you  are 
threatening  the  physical  structures  of  your  stomach, 
your  liver,  your  kidneys,  your  heart,  your  blood  vessels, 
your  nerves,  your  brain ;  .  (2)  that  you  are  decreasing 
your  capacity  for  work  in  any  field,  be  it  physical, 
intellectual,  or  artistic ;  (3)  that  you  are  in  some 
measure  lowering  the  grade  of  your  mind,  dulling  your 
higher  aesthetic  sense,  and  taking  the  finer  edge  off 
your  morals ;  (4)  that  you  are  distinctly  lessening 
your  chances  of  maintaining  health  and  attaining 
longevity ;  and  (5)  that  you  may  be  entailing  upon 
your  descendants  yet  unborn  a  burden  of  incalculable 
misery/' 

You  will  find  the  chart  on  the  next  page  interesting 
and  instructive.  It  shows  what  life  insurance  experts 
have  found  out  about  alcohol. 


i62  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

The  Total  Abstainer.     The  most  painstaking  observation     45.6  Yrs. 
on  the  part  of  life  insurance  experts  shows  that  a  man  who 
is  physically  sound  and  in  every  way  temperate  in  his  habits 
at  the  age  of  twenty  years  may  expect  to  live  45.6  years. 
The  long  black  line  stands  for  the  TOTAL  ABSTAINER. 

The  Tippler.  The  United  Kingdom  Temperance  and 
General  Provident  Institution  of  London  has  had  two 
classes  of  risks ;  first,  total  abstainers;  second,  tipplers 
or  moderate  drinkers.  These  two  classes  have  been  v 

kept  entirely  distinct.  During  a  period  of  60  years,  ^  *^_ 
from  1841  to  1901,  it  was  found  that  the  average  life 
of  the  tippler  was  nearly  30  per  cent  shorter  than  the 
life  of  the  total  abstainer.  While  the  total  abstainer 
lives  an  average  of  45.6  years  after  the  age  of  twenty, 
the  tippler  only  lives  an  average  of  31.9  years.  The 
middle  line  stands  for  the  TIPPLER. 

The  Drinker.  Careful  observation  made  by  j- 
F.  G.  D.  Nelson  of  London  shows  that  men 
who  are  drinkers  at  twenty  will  only  live  an 
average  of  15.5  years  or  one  half  as  long  as  the 
moderate  drinker  and  one  third  as  long  as  the 
total  abstainer.  The  short  black  line  stands  for 
the  DRINKER. 

Total  abstainers  live  on  an  average  nearly  fourteen  years  longer  than 
moderate  drinkers. 

This  illustration  shows  the  poor  chance  a  drinker  has  for  extended  life  as 
compared  with  a  total  abstainer. 

HEALTH  PROBLEMS 

1.  If  you  know  any  drunkards,  tell  how  the  use  of  alcohol  has 
affected  their  appearance,  their  strength,  and  their  working  powers. 

2.  How  has  it  affected  the  happiness  of  their  homes  ? 

3.  Men    sometimes    drink    in    very    cold    weather    to    warm 


DECEIVING  THE  NERVES  AND  THE  MIND    163 

themselves.     Are  they  really  warmer  after  a  drink  of  whisky  ? 
Explain. 

4.  In  most  mines,   foremen  will   not  permit  men  who   have 
been  drinking  to  go  down  the  mine  to  work.     Why  is  this  ? 

5.  Is  there  a  juvenile  court  in  your  community?     If  so,  find 
out  what  per  cent  of  the  offenders  have  had  drinking  parents. 

6.  What  company  in  your  community  employs  the  most  men  ? 
Find  out  whether  they  discriminate  against  users  of  alcohol. 

7.  Who  is  the  best  surgeon  you  know  ?     Does  he  use  alcohol  ? 

8.  Why  do  life  insurance  companies  refuse  to  give  a  policy  to 
hard  drinkers  ? 

9.  When  a  person  is  very  ill  the  doctor  often  asks  whether  or 
not  he  uses  alcoholic  drinks.     Why  do  you  think  he  does  this  ? 

10.  People  who   use   alcohol   frequently   have   violent   fits  of 
anger  and  periods  of  great  depression.     What  causes  this  ? 

11.  Should  you  like  to  ride  on  a  train  if  you  knew  that  the 
engineer  used  alcohol  ?     Why  ? 

REVIEW  QUESTIONS 

1.  How  has  the  opinion  of  people  changed  recently  with  regard 
to  the  effect  of  alcohol  ? 

2.  Tell  about  Doctor  Hodge's  experiments  with  dogs. 

3.  How  does  even  a  moderate  use  of  alcohol  affect  the  energy 
and  ambition  of  a  person  ? 

4.  Who  are  able  to  stand  the  cold  in  the  Arctic  regions  best  — 
people  who  use  alcohol  or  those  who  do  not  ? 

5.  How  does  alcohol  affect  a  man's  working  power? 

6.  What  is  the  effect  of  alcohol  on  people  in  warm  climates 
or  desert  regions  ? 

7.  Tell  about  the  test  of  the  effect  of  alcohol  on  the  work  of 
the  typesetters. 

8.  What  effect  has  alcohol  on  the  judgment  ?     Why  ? 

9.  What  did  the  experiments  show  as  to  the  effect  of  alcohol 
on  the  promptness  of  a  man's  response  to  a  signal  ? 


164  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

10.  How  long  does  a  drink  of  whisky  affect  a  person's  working 
capacity,  even  though  he  takes  only  a  small  quantity? 

n.  What  is  the  result  when  a  person  uses  alcohol  every  day? 

12.  Why  do  employers  refuse  to  hire  users  of  alcohol  ? 

13.  What  effect  did  alcohol  have  on  the  ability  of  the  Swedish 
marksmen  ? 

14.  When  a  tired  person  drinks  alcohol,  what  happens  to  his 
nerves  ?     Is  he  really  rested  and  benefited  ? 

15.  What  is  fatty  degeneration?     How  is  it  caused? 

16.  What  is  fibroid  degeneration  ?     What  causes  it  ? 

17.  Name  several   other   diseases   which  may  arise  from   the 
use  of  alcohol. 

18.  How  does  alcohol  injure  the  white  blood  cells? 

19.  What  five  things  did  Doctor  Henry  S.  Williams  mention 
as  resulting  from  the  use  of  alcohol  ? 

20.  What  important  law  was  passed  in  1920  and  what  does  it 
require  ? 


CHAPTER  X 

HANDICAPS  IN  THE  RACE  OF  LIFE 

SOME  years  ago  a  bill  was  introduced  into  the  House 
of  Representatives  of  Japan  prohibiting  the  use  of 
tobacco  by  young  people  under  twenty  years  of  age. 
The  Japanese  statesman  who  introduced  the  bill  said  : 
"I  should  like  to  give  you  briefly  the  reasons  why  we 
have  introduced  this  bill.  Recently  even  children 
in  our  common  schools  have  come  to  smoke  cheap 
imported  cigarettes,  the  consequences  of  which  we 
fear  may  bring  our  country  down  to  the  miserable 
condition  of  countries  like  China  and  India ;  because 
tobacco,  like  opium,  contains  narcotic  poisons  which 
benumb  the  nervous  system,  and  weaken  the  mental 
power  of  children  addicted  to  smoking,  and  this  gives 
a  death  blow  to  the  vitality  of  the  nation." 

The  Japanese  are  a  very  patriotic  people,  always 
ready  to  sacrifice  themselves  for  the  glory  of  their 
nation  or  country.  They  saw  that  cigarette  smoking 
by  boys  was  threatening  the  nation's  greatness,  and 
so  they  forbade  it.  The  effect  upon  the  nation,  of 
course,  could  come  only  through  the  effect  of  the 
cigarette  poison  upon  the  individuals  who  smoked  it. 

165 


MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 


A  cigarette  smoking  boy  employed  by  a  printing 
house  often  had  to  climb  several  flights  of  stairs  in  the 
A  stone  course  of  his  work.  Many  times  before  he 
tied  to  reached  the  top  he  would  find  himself  breath- 
one's  neck.  jess^  pantmg  for  a;r?  wjtn  his  heart  beating 

furiously    and    his    body    trembling.     The    cigarette 


Do   YOU    THINK   THE    MAN    HANDICAPPED    BY   THE    BALL   AND    CHAIN    CAN    WIN   THE 

RACE  ?    CIGARETTE  SMOKING  is  MORE  OF  A  HANDICAP  IN  THE  RACE  OF  LIFE. 

poison  in  his  system  had  reached  that  vital  organ, 
the  heart.  A  boy  with  "tobacco  heart"  can  not  keep 
up  with  modern  industrial  life,  and  this  boy  was  soon 
discharged.  His  employer  said:  "No  boy  nowadays, 
when  business  is  so  strongly  competitive,  can  afford 
to  saddle  himself  with  any  destructive  habit.  It  is 
like  trying  to  swim  with  a  stone  tied  to  one's  neck,  or 


HANDICAPS  IN  THE  RACE  OF  LIFE       167 

race  with  a  ball  and  chain  at  one's  heels.  A  successful 
boy  must  be  strong  and  healthy,  and  the  tobacco- 
drenched  boy  is  never  that/' 

French  scientists  undertook  experiments  some  time 
ago  to  find  out  the  effects  of  tobacco  in  various  forms 
upon  animals.  When  a  dog  inhaled  the  smoke  of 
tobacco  the  first  effect  was  to  cause  a  marked  fall 
in  blood  pressure  which  was  followed  by  a  great  rise. 
There  was  also  contraction  of  the  vessels  of  the  kidneys 
and  dilation  of  the  vessels  of  the  brain.  The  seriousness 
of  the  effects  produced  was  in  proportion  to  the  amount 
of  nicotine  contained  in  the  tobacco  that  was  used. 

The  same  effects  are  produced  upon  human  beings 
who  inhale  tobacco  smoke.  The  high  blood  pressure 
produced  by  the  contraction  of  the  blood  overtaxing 
vessels  forces  upon  the  heart  a  great  amount  the  heart- 
of  extra  work.  Smokers  are  continually  overtaxing 
their  hearts  in  this  way,  with  the  result  of  wearing 
them  out  prematurely.  Smokers  often  die  of  heart 
collapse  or  kidney  disease  because  of  the  effects  of 
tobacco  upon  these  organs.  The  death  of  Mark  Twain 
was  caused  by  "tobacco  heart."  Surgeons  have  ex- 
pressed the  opinion  that  President  McKinley  might 
have  recovered  from  his  wound  if  he  had  not  been 
handicapped  by  a  "tobacco  heart." 

No  one  denies  that  tobacco  is  a  poison  to  animals. 
The  farmer  uses  it  to  kill  the  ticks  on  his  sheep  and 
the  florist  to  destroy  the  green  flies  on  his  rose  bushes. 
It  will  kill  frogs,  cats,  and  snakes.  How  can  that 


168  MAKING  THE   MOST  OF  LIFE 

which  to  all  other  animals  is  a  poison  be  anything  other 
than  a  poison  to  man  ? 

Smokers  sometimes  say  that  the  poison  is  destroyed 
or  escapes  at  the  burning  end  of  the  cigar  and  is  not 
to  be  found  to  any  extent  in  the  smoke  inhaled.  A 
German  chemist  investigated  this  matter  and  found 
that  the  smoke  of  a  cigar  contained  half  a  grain  of 
nicotine,  an  amount  sufficient  to  kill  a  man  if  taken  at  a 
single  dose.  An  habitual  smoker  does  not  die  at  once, 
but  the  effects  accumulate  and  are  likely  to  carry  him 
off  at  last  with  heart  failure  or  disease  of  the  kidneys. 

A  little  newsboy  I  know,  when  tempted  by  his 
companions  to  smoke  and  ridiculed  because  he  will 
not  join  them  in  this  vice,  replies :  "  Do  you  think  I 
am  going  to  burn  my  brains  out  just  because  you  do  ?" 
The  effect  of  tobacco  in  "burning  out  the  brains"  is 
shown  in  the  fact  that  out  of  2336  boy  smokers,  only 
six  were  reported  as  bright  students.  The  boy  smoker 
is  burning  out  not  only  his  intellectual  faculties,  but 
his  strength,  manliness,  courage,  and  steadiness,  —  in 
fact,  all  the  qualities  that  he  will  need  to  make  him  a 
successful  man. 

Professor  Lombard  of  the  University  of  Michigan 
has  used  the  ergograph  to  find  out  the  effects  of  tobacco 
Unstead  uPon  tne  muscles.  He  found  that  on  days  on 
muscles  which  he  smoked  five  cigars  his  muscles  lost 
and  dull  about  forty-one  per  cent  —  nearly  half --of 
their  working  power.  The  steadiness  and  pre- 
cision as  well  as  the  strength  of  the  muscles  are  affected 


HANDICAPS  IN  THE  RACE  OF  LIFE       169 

by  smoking,  due  to  the  effect  of  the  tobacco  poison  on 
the  nerves  that  control  them. 

A  great  engineer,  when  he  was  sending  his  students 
out  into  the  world,  gave  them  as  his  parting  advice 
this  motto:  "Let  your  competitor  smoke."  By  this 
he  meant,  if  there  is  any  smoking  at  all  done,  let  it  be 
done  not  by  you  but  by  your  rival.  Keep  your  own 
brain  clear  and  your  nerves  steady,  and  thus  you  will 
increase  your  chances  of  winning  life's  prizes  ;  while  if 
your  competitor  smokes,  that  habit  will  lessen  his 
chances  of  outstripping  you.  In  this  he  was  warning 
them  that  tobacco,  like  alcohol,  is  a  handicap  to  success. 

That  your  chances  of  winning  are  greatly  increased 
if  your .  competitor  smokes  is  shown  by  the  following 
instances  related  by  Dr.  Chas.  B.  Towns:  "A  great 
billiard  player  who  never  smoked  assured  me  that  he 
is  sure  of  winning  when  his  opponent  is  a  smoker. 
A  tennis  player  who  smoked  at  twenty-one  found  that 
men  whom  he  had  formerly  beaten  with  ease  could 
now  beat  him.  Riflemen  know  that  they  shoot  better 
without  tobacco,  and  even  the  average  man  who  does 
not  care  to  excel  is  susceptible  to  the  repeated  and 
continued  doses  of  the  various  tobacco  poisons." 

Mr.  Luther  Burbank,  who  has  been  called  the  wizard 
of  plant  life,  relates  the  following  experience  :  "To  assist 
me  in  my  work  of  budding  —  work  that  is  as  accurate 
and  exacting  as  watch-making  —  I  have  a  force  of 
some  twenty  men.  I  discharge  men  from  this  force 
at  the  first  show  of  incompetency.  Some  time  ago 


170  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

my  foreman  asked  me  if  I  took  pains  to  inquire  into 
the  habits  of  my  men.  On  being  answered  in  the 
negative,  he  surprised  me  by  saying  that  the  men  I 
found  unable  to  do  the  delicate  work  of  budding  in- 
variably turned  out  to  be  smokers  and  drinkers.  These 
men,  while  able  to  do  the  rough  work  of  farming,  call 
budding  and  other  delicate  work  'puttering'  and  have 
to  give  it  up,  owing  to  inability  to  concentrate  their 
nerve  force.  Even  men  who  smoke  one  cigar  a  day  I 
cannot  trust  with  some  of  my  delicate  work." 

Is  it  surprising  that  employers  refuse  to  employ  a 
boy  who  smokes  and  would  rather  that  their  men  did 
not  ?  Forty-one  business  houses  of  Massachusetts 
signed  an  agreement  to  employ  no  one  under  eighteen 
years  of  age  who  smokes.  Sixty-nine  merchants  of 
Detroit  took  the  same  pledge.  Several  of  the  largest 
Chicago  firms  have  prohibited  cigarette  smoking  among 
the  boys  in  their  employ.  This  is  a  warning  to  the 
boy  who  wants  to  succeed  in  the  business  world  to  let 
tobacco  alone. 

But  the  worst  effect  of  cigarette  smoking  by  boys  is 
seen  not  in  destroying  the  brain  power,  making  the 
The  worst  nerves  unsteady  and  unreliable,  robbing  the 
effect  of  ail.  muscles  of  their  strength,  weakening  the 
heart,  and  destroying  the  prospects  of  a  successful 
career,  but  in  the  change  that  it  makes  in  the  character. 
You  have  already  learned  something  of  this  —  how 
the  cigarette  slave  will  lie  and  steal  and  commit  almost 
any  crime  because  the  tobacco  poison  has  deadened 


HANDICAPS  IN  THE  RACE  OF  LIFE      171 

or  destroyed  his  moral  sense.  A  doctor  who  has  made  a 
special  study  of  the  effects  of  tobacco  upon  boys  in  this 
respect  says  that  when  he  hears  of  some  dreadful  and  un- 
natural crime  committed  by  a  youth  or  a  young  man,  he 
always  expects  to  find  that  the  criminal  is  addicted  to  the 
use  of  cigarettes,  which  usually  proves  to  be  the  case. 

In  a  recent  murder  trial,  the  judge  said  of  the  prisoner, 
"This  young  man  smokes  one  pound  of  tobacco  a  week 
in  the  form  of  cigarettes.  This  is  sufficient  to  derange 
any  man's  brain  and  produce  insanity.  It  makes  him 
irresponsible  for  the  crime  he  has  committed."  The 
young  man,  however,  was  responsible  for  the  thing 
that  made  him  irresponsible  —  the  cigarette  smoking. 

Similar  testimony  is  given  by  "the  Boys'  Friend," 
Judge  Ben  B.  Lindseyof  the  Juvenile  Court  of  Colorado. 
He  says:  "I  have  been  in  the  Juvenile  Court  nearly 
ten  years,  and  in  that  time  I  have  had  to  deal  with 
thousands  and  thousands  of  boys  who  have  disgraced 
themselves  and  their  parents,  and  who  have  brought 
sorrow  and  misery  into  their  lives  ;  and  I  do  not  know 
of  any  one  habit  that  is  more  responsible  for  the  troubles 
of  these  boys  than  the  vile  cigarette  habit .  No  pure- 
minded,  honest,  manly,  brave,  gentle  boy  will  smoke 
cigarettes." 

But  perhaps  we  have  not  even  yet  got  to  the  worst 
of  the  evil,  which  is  that  tobacco,  is,  like  alcohol,  a 
race  poison.  That  is,  it  affects  not  only  the  person 
who  smokes,  but  the  evil  is  handed  down  to  his  de- 
scendants. It  destroys  his  ability  to  have  perfectly 


172  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

healthy  children.  When  a  boy  by  smoking  has  crip- 
pled himself  mentally  and  morally,  if  he  grows  up  and 
marries,  his  children  will  in  all  probability  be  like 
himself,  mental  and  moral  cripples. 

When  tobacco  gets  the  mastery  over  a  man,  it  com- 
pels him  to  use  his  earnings  for  that  which  is  worse 
A  waste  of  than  useless.  A  young  man  urged  by  another 
money.  to  smoke  agreed  to  allow  himself  one  five-cent 
cigar  a  day.  But  instead  of  smoking  he  saved  the 
money,  and  at  the  end  of  six  years  it  amounted  to 
$109.50,  which  he  expended  for  books  that  he  called 
his  "cigar  library."  Some  one  has  reckoned:  "One 
who  begins  smoking  at  ten  years  of  age  and  smokes 
one  five-cent  cigar  a  day  would,  reckoning  interest 
at  six  per  cent,  have  paid  out  at  the  age  of  twenty-five 
over  four  hundred  dollars  ;  at  fifty  years  twenty-seven 
hundred  ;  and  at  seventy-five  about  eleven  thousand 
and  five  hundred  dollars.  But  suppose  he  smokes 
three  five-cent  cigars  a  day  (which  would  be  a  limited 
allowance  for  most  smokers).  At  twenty-five  he  would 
have  smoked  up  thirteen  hundred  dollars,  at  fifty 
nearly  nine  thousand,  and  at  seventy-five  nearly  forty- 
two  thousand  dollars." 

The  health  officers  of  Washington  recently  issued  a 
letter  of  caution  to  parents  urging  them  not  to  allow 
Unsus-  their  children  to  use  tea  and  coffee  at  home, 
pected  They  were  of  the  opinion  that  the  "nervous- 
caps'  ness"  which  is  becoming  so  common  among 
school  children  was  due  as  a  rule  not  to  overstudy,  but 


HANDICAPS  IN  THE   RACE  OF  LIFE      173 

as  Dr.  Wiley  says,  to  the  fact  that  "they  are  subjected 
to  stimulants  of  various  kinds,  which  have  no  food 
value  and  can  work  only  injury.  I  refer  especially  to 
coffee  and  tea  at  home,  and  the  indulgence  by  the 
boys  and  girls  in  the  so-called  soft  drinks  which  con- 
tain cocain  or  caffein."  Numerous  eminent  nerve 
specialists  say  that  coffee  and  tea  are  nerve  poisons 
and  are  the  cause  of  nervousness,  worry,  and  other 
maladies. 

Tea  and  coffee  not  only  contain,  as  Dr.  Wiley  says, 
no  food  value,  but  they  work  injury  because  they  con- 
tain a  poisonous  substance  known  as  theine  in  tea  and 
caffein  in  coffee.  Taken  in  concentrated  form  and  in 
comparatively  small  doses,  these  substances  cause 
sickness  and  may  even  produce  death. 

An  ounce  of  tea  leaves  contains  from  fifteen  to 
thirty  grains  of  this  poison,  an  amount  sufficient,  if  ex- 
tracted and  swallowed  at  one  dose,  to  poison  a  person 
not  accustomed  to  its  use.  An  English  officer  on  duty 
in  Africa  some  years  ago  lost  a  fine  horse  by  poisoning 
from  tea  which  had  become  mingled  with  its  food.  A 
physician  and  his  assistant,  in  conducting  some  ex- 
periments with  coffee,  were  both  rendered  insensible 
by  drinking  a  quantity  made  from  two  ounces  of  coffee 
beans. 

Tea  and  coffee  also  contain  tannin,  which  hinders 
the  digestion  and  absorption  of  food.  Sir  Benjamin 
Ward  Richardson  says:  "The  extremely  injurious 
effects  of  tea  are  best  seen  in  some  of  those  who  are 


174  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

charged  with  the  commercial  duty  of  'tea  tasting.'  A 
professional  tea-taster,  who  was  so  seriously  affected 
that  he  thought  it  proper  to  consult  me  on  the  symptoms 
induced,  defined  the  symptoms  very  clearly  as  follows  : 
*  Deficiency  of  saliva,  destruction  of  taste  for  food, 
biliousness,  nausea,  constipation,  an  extreme  and  un- 
definable  nervousness,  and  nightmare  whenever  sleep 
is  obtained  !' 

Doctor  Nesbit,  a  professor  in  a  medical  college  in 
Philadelphia,  established  a  poison  squad  for  the  pur- 
pose of  testing  the  effects  of  caffein.  The  squad  con- 
sisted of  eight  students  to  whom  the  caffein  was  given 
irregularly  in  such  a  way  that  they  were  ignorant  of 
the  time  of  its  administration.  All  the  students  who 
took  the  caffein  suffered  from  attacks  of  severe  head- 
ache and  nausea.  One  member  of  the  squad  at  the 
end  of  twenty  days  became  so  ill  that  he  had  to  be 
taken  to  the  hospital,  but  he  soon  recovered  when  he 
took  no  more  caffein. 

Drugs  which  are  capable  of  such  effects  when  taken 
in  large  doses  must  certainly  work  some  mischief  when 
Mischief  ta^en  in  small  doses.  The  difference  is  that 
may  come  the  large  dose  takes  effect  immediately,  while 
from  small  tne  effects  of  the  small  dose,  though  not  so 
apparent,  pile  up  and  undermine  the  health, 
appearing  later  in  chronic  disorders. 

Another  professor  who  experimented  with  caffein 
upon  a  great  variety  of  persons  noticed  that  when 
more  than  four  grains  were  taken  the  caffein  produced 


HANDICAPS   IN  THE   RACE  OF   LIFE       175 

nervousness,  headaches,  and  irritability.  An  ordinary 
cup  of  coffee  contains  2.5  grains.  How  many  cups 
would  it  take  to  make  up  the  dose  which  would  produce 
these  effects  ?  We  must  remember  also  that  it  is  not 
the  fifth  grain  that  does  the  mischief,  it  is  the  sum  of 
all  the  grains  that  have  been  taken.  Of  this  Dr.  Wiley 
says  :  "How  often  do  I  hear  the  phrase,  'I  can  drink 
a  strong  cup  of  coffee  with  no  ill  effect.'  The  same 
excuse  is  urged  for  the  use  of  alcoholic  beverages.  .  .  . 
It  is  not  the  fourth  or  fifth  drink  of  whisky  that  in- 
toxicates ;  it  is  the  sum  of  the  first,  second,  and  third 
drinks." 

Government  statistics  show  that  the  average  Ameri- 
can takes  six  grains  of  caffein  a  day,  enough  for  the 
effects  to  be  immediately  apparent  in  nervousness, 
headache,  and  irritability.  And,  as  we  have  seen, 
even  when  taken  in  smaller  doses  the  effects  pile  up 
and  undermine  the  health.  What  should  we  think  of 
bread  or  potatoes  if  taking  an  extra  slice  of  bread 
or  an  extra  potato  was  likely  to  produce  poisonous 
effects  ? 

Why  do  people  continue  to  take  these  drugs  ?  Be- 
cause their  first  effect  when  taken  in  small  doses  is 
exhilarating,  so  that  they  appear  to  relieve  fatigue 
and  increase  efficiency.  They  enable  a  person  to  get 
more  work  out  of  himself  at  the  time,  just  as  a  whip 
will  spur  a  tired  horse  to  make  further  effort,  although 
it  puts  nothing  into  him  to  supply  the  strength  for 
that  effort.  The  tired  woman  takes  a  cup  of  tea  and 


176  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

feels  refreshed  and  able  to  do  more  work.  But  she  is 
not  rested.  She  feels  rested  when  she  is  still  actually 
tired.  She  makes  the  cup  of  tea  a  substitute  for  the 
rest  she  ought  to  have  taken  to  allow  for  the  renewal 
of  the  body.  In  this  way  she  is  laying  the  foundation 
for  nervous  exhaustion. 

Caffein  is  especially  a  brain  excitant.  Sometimes 
hard  brain  workers,  especially  those  that  have  to 
A  violent  work  late  at  night,  —  editors,  reporters,  stu- 
brain  dents  before  examination,  —  take  coffee  to 
stimulant.  enabie  them  to  get  more  work  out  of  their 
tired  brains.  As  the  coffee  wakes  up  the  brain  the 
whole  nervous  system  shares  in  the  exciting  effect, 
and  the  person  is  quite  likely  to  smoke  to  soothe  the 
irritated  nerves.  Sooner  or  later  this  state  of  things 
results  in  a  nervous,  irritable  condition,  loss  of  weight, 
tremulousness,  in  short,  in  neurasthenia,  a  general 
derangement  of  the  nervous  system.  This  disease  is 
sometimes  called  "Americanitis"  because  it  is  so 
common  in  this  country.  This  doubtless  has  some 
relation  to  the  fact  that  more  coffee  is  consumed  in 
the  United  States  than  in  any  other  country.  It  is 
estimated  that  25,000,000,000  cups  of  coffee,  which 
means  62,500,000,000  grains  of  caffein,  are  consumed 
in  the  United  States  every  year. 

"  I  must  have  a  cup  of  tea  or  coffee  for  my  breakfast ; 
without  it  I  am  good  for  nothing  for  the  whole  day," 
is  an  expression  one  often  hears.  The  conclusion  to  be 
drawn  from  this  is  not  that  the  tea  or  coffee  is  beneficial, 


HANDICAPS   IN  THE   RACE  OF  LIFE       177 

but  the  reverse.  It  classes  tea  and  coffee  with  the 
injurious  habit-forming  drugs.  The  fact  that  one 
who  uses  these  beverages  finds  himself  nervous  and 
uncomfortable  without  them,  just  as  the  alcohol  toper 
is  uncomfortable  without  his  customary  toddy,  is 
additional  evidence  of  their  harmful  effect.  No  such 
results  follow  the  withdrawal  of  bread  or  potatoes. 

The  exciting  effect  of  these  beverages  is  especially 
injurious  in  the  case  of  children,  who  need  to  rest 
normally  when  fatigued  in  order  that  their  growth 
may  not  be  hindered.  For  this  reason  parents  who 
have  themselves  formed  the  habit  of  using  tea  and 
coffee  often  withhold  them  from  their  children.  Some 
of  these  children,  however,  who  are  not  allowed  to 
drink  tea  and  coffee  at  home,  get  the  very  same  poison 
at  the  soda  fountain,  where  beverages  containing 
caffein  are  sold.  Experts  are  agreed  that  caffein- 
bearing  beverages  taken  upon  an  empty  stomach 
are  more  injurious  than  the  same  amount  of  caffein 
would  be  consumed  with  meals.  This  is  the  reason 
why  Dr.  Wiley  especially  warns  the  boys  and  girls 
against  the  soft  drinks  containing  this  poison,  especially 
the  various  "cola"  drinks. 

He  says : 

"My  plea  to  the  teachers  of  the  nation  is  to  join  in 
the  great  work  to  banish  from  the  menu  of  the  child 
every  single  substance  which  hits  the  nerves,  excites 
undue  activity,  or  produces  unnatural  stimulation, 
and  to  substitute  in  its  place  a  wholesome,  nutritious, 


178  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

plain,  simple  diet,  which  may  enable  the  child  to  grow 
and  become  a  healthy  and  valuable  citizen." 

Recently  complaints  were  made  to  the  police  in 
Newark,  New  Jersey,  by  parents  who  said  that  their 
boys  had  become  "cocaine  fiends."  The 
enemy  of  police  investigated  and  discovered  that  three 
the  nerves  youths  were  tempting  and  threatening  the 
children  into  inhaling  the  -  drug,  which  was 
sold  to  them  in  five  and  ten  cent  doses  and 
paid  for  with  pennies  given  to  the  children  for  candy. 
One  little  boy  told  how  one  of  these  youths  had  suc- 
ceeded in  forcing  him  to  take  the  drug.  "He  told 
me,"  he  said,  "that  it  would  make  me  big  and  strong; 
that  I  would  be  a  fine  fighter  if  I  took  it  often,  and 
would  soon  be  able  to  lick  any  boy  of  my  size  in  the 
school.  He  also  said  that  I  would  have  nice  dreams 
about  being  a  millionaire's  son,  and  having  everything 
I  wanted."  None  of  the  children  knew  that  it  was 
cocaine  that  was  being  sold  to  them,  to  sell  which 
without  a  license  is  forbidden  by  law. 

The  truth  about  cocaine,  which  is  very  different 
from  the  picture  given  to  the  children,  is  shown  in  the 
fact  that  there  are  over  one  hundred  sanitariums  in 
the  country  giving  treatment  for  the  victims  of  the 
use  of  such  drugs.  It  is  a  fact,  also,  that  "those  using 
cocaine,  morphine,  and  opium  are  short-lived,  most 
of  them  dying  within  ten  years  after  contracting  the 
habit  and  after  suffering  untold  misery  of  mind  and 
body." 


HANDICAPS  IN  THE  RACE  OF  LIFE      179 

A  great  many  people  get  the  drug  habit  without 
knowing  it  through  using  patent  medicines  containing 
these  poisons.     The  head  of  a  wholesale  drug  Avoid 
house  testified  in  court  that  samples  of  a  cer-  patent 
tain    catarrh    cure   were    being   given    away  medicmes- 
in  New  York  City  for  the  purpose  of    creating  an 
appetite    for    it    and    so    increasing   its    sale.     Patent 
nostrums   offered   for   catarrh,  colds,  hay   fever,   and 
such   diseases,    usually   contain    some    powerful    drug 
which  if  repeatedly  taken  will  create  an  appetite  for 
it  and  enslave  its  victim. 

The  principal  object  sought  by  the  makers  of  most- 
patent  medicines  is  that  they  shall  produce  a  quick 
and  vigorous  impression.  The  stimulating  or  narcotic 
effects  of  the  drugs  put  into  them  for  this  purpose 
are  mistaken  by  the  patient  for  marked  evidences  of 
improvement.  When  the  effect  wears  off,  he  repeats 
the  dose  and  continually  has  to  increase  it  in  order 
to  get  the  same  effect,  until  he  finds  himself  a  slave  to 
the  drug  habit. 

The  Chief  of  the  Division  of  Drugs  of  the  Bureau  of 
Chemistry  tells  of  a  boy  who  contracted  the  cocaine 
habit  through  its  use  for  the  treatment  of  catarrh. 
It  became  quite  impossible  for  the  boy  to  resist  the 
temptation  to  use  the  drug,  which  was  frequently 
offered  to  him  by  dishonest  dealers.  To  save  his 
family  from  disgrace  he  asked  that  he  might  be  sent 
to  a  country  where  cocaine  could  not  be  purchased, 
and  he  was  sent  to  Germany. 


180  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

Patent  headache  remedies  are  especially  dangerous. 
When  Dr.  Wiley  was  Chief  Chemist  of  the  Department 
of  Agriculture  he  said :  "  Hardly  a  day  passes  that  I 
do  not  receive  from  some  part  of  the  country  the  re- 
port of  a  death  from  taking  headache  powders.  Every 
such  preparation  sold  contains  large  quantities  of 
either  acetanilid,  phenacetin,  antipyrin  or  cafFein,  all 
of  which  affect  the  heart  more  or  less." 

Even  the  babies  are  not  safe  from  drugs,  but  are 
sometimes,  through  the  ignorance  of  their  mothers  or 
nurses,  especially  exposed  to  them  under  the  name  of 
soothing  sirups,  or  colic  cures.  It  is  well  known 
that  these  "soothing"  preparations  contain  opium, 
morphine,  or  chloroform.  Nurses  sometimes  use  them 
unknown  to  the  mothers  to  quiet  the  babies  and  put 
them  to  sleep. 

The  majority  of  bottled  patent  medicines  contain 
alcohol,  some  as  much  as  twenty-eight  per  cent.  Some 
people  of  strict  temperance  principles  have  innocently 
acquired  the  alcohol  habit  by  the  use  of  patent 
medicines. 

HEALTH  PROBLEMS. 

1.  Are  there  any  cigarette  smokers  in  your  class?     If  so,  are 
they  good  students  ?     Are  they  as  courageous  as  other  boys  who 
do  not  use  tobacco  ? 

2.  Are  there  any  laws  in  your  community  limiting  or  prohibiting 
the  use  of  tobacco  ?     If  so,  tell  about  them. 

3.  Most  drinkers   and   tobacco  users   season   their  food   very 
highly,  smothering  it  in   such   condiments   as   salt,  pepper,  and 
catsup.     Explain. 


HANDICAPS   IN  THE   RACE  OF  LIFE       181 

4.  Tobacco  users  seldom  have  a  keen  sense  of  smell.     Why  is 
this  ? 

5.  What  causes  the  trembling,  unsteady  hand  of  the  habitual 
drinker  or  smoker  ? 

6.  In  greenhouses  florists   use  tobacco  smoke  to  kill  insects 
on  plants.     If  the  smoke  is  powerful  enough  to  kill  these  insects, 
do  you  think  it  will  leave  the  cells  of  the  body  unharmed  ? 

7.  Find  out  what  pupils  in  your  class  use  tea  or  coffee  regularly. 
Are  their  nerves  as  strong  as  those  of  girls  and  boys  who  do  not 
use  these  drinks  ? 

8.  What  do  you  think  of  the  practice  of  substituting  a  drink  of 
tea  or  coffee  for  an  hour  of  needed  rest  ? 

9.  Can  a  drink  which  will  make  a  tired  person  wakeful  be  a 
good  one  ? 

10.  Do  the  newspapers  in  your  community  advertise  "patent 
medicines"?     Can  these  medicines  cure  the  diseases  for  which 
they  are  taken  ? 

REVIEW  QUESTIONS 

1.  Why  was  a  bill  introduced  in  the  House  of  Representatives 
in  Japan  against  the  use  of  tobacco  by  persons  under  twenty  years 
of  age  ? 

2.  Wliat  is  "tobacco  heart"  ? 

3.  Tell  about  the  effects  of  tobacco  on  animals. 

4.  Does  it  have  the  same  effect  on  human  beings  ? 

5.  How  does  tobacco  affect  a  man's  mental  powers  ? 

6.  How  does  it  affect  his  muscles  ? 

7.  Tell  about  Luther  Burbank's  experience  with  his  workmen. 

8.  What  is  meant  by  a  "moral  cripple"?     How  does  tobacco 
help  to  create  "moral  cripples"  ? 

9.  What  did  Dr.  Wiley  say  caused  the  "nervousness"  common 
among  school  children  ? 

10.  What  poisonous  substance  is  contained  in  coffee  ?     In  tea  ? 

11.  How  are  tea-tasters  often  affected  by  their  work  ? 


1 82  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

12.  How  did  the  caffein  affect  the  poison  squad  who  drank  it? 

13.  Why  does  a  cup  of  tea  or  coffee  sometimes  make  one  feel 
refreshed  ?     Is  this  a  good  thing  ? 

14.  What  is  said  about  drinks  containing  cola  ? 

15.  Name    some    of   the    habit-forming    drugs.     What    effect 
have  they  on  the  body  ? 

16.  Mention  some  patent  medicines.     What  do  they  frequently 
contain  ?     Why  are  these  poisons  put  in  the  medicines  ? 

17.  Can  such  medicines  really  cure  disease? 

1 8.  Why  are  soothing  sirups  and  headache  medicines  especially 
dangerous  ? 


CHAPTER  XI 
THE  BODY-FILTERS  FOR  DESTROYING  POISONS 

You  probably  know  by  this  time  that  the  body  is  a 
factory  of  poisons.  Even  in  a  healthy  person  living 
under  perfectly  right  conditions,  poisonous  substances 
are  constantly  being  formed  by  the  wear  and  tear  of 
the  body.  Besides  this,  poisons  are  constantly  being 
developed  by  the  decay  of  food  in  the  alimentary  canal. 
Bouchard,  a  distinguished  French  investigator,  dem- 
onstrated that  there  is  enough  poison  formed  in  the 
human  body  every  twenty-four  hours  to  cause  death 
if  it  were  not  destroyed.  Why  do  we  not  die  of  these 
body  poisons  ?  Because  of  the  wonderful  provision 
made  by  nature  for  their  prompt  removal  by  means 
of  the  eliminative  organs. 

The  blood  takes  up  the  poisons   from  the  various 
tissues  and,  as  it  circulates  through  the  body,   certain 
organs,  which  we  might  call  the  body  filters,  The  body 
remove  these  injurious  products,  much  as  a  ^ters- 
filter  removes  the  impurities  from  water.     The    cir- 
culation of  the  blood  is  arranged  especially  for  this 
purpose.     Do  you  remember  the  arrangement  called 
the  pulmonary   circulation,  by   means   of  which   the 

183 


i84  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 


THE    CIRCULATION    OF  THE    BLOOD.      THE    HEAVY    BLACK   LINES 
SHOW  THE    ARTERIES. 


BODY-FILTERS  FOR  DESTROYING  POISONS    185 

blood  is  sent  from  the  heart  into  the  lungs,  where  the 
carbon  dioxide  is  removed  and  the  blood  is  filled  with 
oxygen  before  it  is  returned  to  the  heart  to  be  pumped 
through  the  body  ?  Do  you  remember  also  the  portal 
circulation,  an  arrangement  by  which  all  the  blood 
supplied  to  the  digestive  organs  —  the  stomach,  in- 
testines, pancreas,  and  spleen -- passes  through  the 
liver  before  going  to  the  heart?  In  this  way  all  the 
materials  absorbed  during  digestion  are  submitted 
to  the  inspection  of  the  liver,  which  is  another  poison 
filter. 

Aside  from  the  brain,  the  liver  is  perhaps  the  most 
wonderful  and  mysterious  organ  in  the  body.  It  does 

many  kinds  of  work.     It  secretes  a  fluid,  it   . 

J  .    '       A  wonder- 

excretes   poisons,  it  creates   ferments,  it  de-  fuiand 

stroys  poisons,  it  digests  and  does  other  impor-  mysterious 
tant  work.  It  seems  to  be  a  sort  of  jack-of-  °rgan 
all  trades  in  the  body,  and  yet  its  cells  look  all  alike. 
The  most  powerful  microscope  can  reveal  no  clew  to 
its  marvelous  variety  of  activities.  People  have  been 
known  to  live  without  a  stomach,  and  with  only  one 
kidney,  and  with  large  portions  of  the  intestinal  canal 
removed.  But  if  the  liver  were  removed  from  a  person, 
he  would  soon  be  fatally  poisoned  by  the  accumulation 
of  the  poisons  which  the  liver  excretes  or  destroys. 

The  power  to  destroy  poisons  is  one  of  the  most 
wonderful  functions  of  the  liver,  by  means  of  which  it 
stands  between  us  and  death.  If  a  person  drinks 
water  containing  lead,  or  eats  peas  or  pickles  colored 


1 86 


MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 


with  copper,  the  liver  seizes  upon  the  poisonous  metal, 
and  after  discharging  as  much  of  it  as  possible  through 
the  bile,  gathers  the  remainder  up  in  its  cells,  thus 
preventing  the  passing  on  of  the  poison  to  the  rest  of 
the  body.  It  is  only  when  the  power  of  the  liver  to  expel 
or  retain  the  poison  has  been  exhausted  that  the  harm- 
ful substance 
is  allowed  to 
pass  on  into 
the  blood  to 
injure  the  rest 
of  the  body. 

Out  of  some 
of  the  waste 
materials  that 
it  abstracts 
from  the  blood, 
the  liver  makes 
the&z/^produc- 
ing  from  six- 
teen to  twenty- 
four  ounces  every  twenty-four  hours.  The  brie 
serves  a  number  of  purposes.  Besides  assisting  in 
the  digestion  of  fats,  it  is  an  antiseptic  and  a 
laxative;  that  is,  it  hinders  the  growth  of  harmful 
germs  in  the  alimentary  canal,  and  it  also  encour- 
ages activity  of  the  intestines.  The  bile  is  one  of 
the  most  poisonous  of  the  body  wastes  and  needs  to 
be  removed  from  the  system  as  speedily  as  possible. 


THE    ORGANS    OF    EXCRETION. 


BODY-FILTERS   FOR  DESTROYING  POISONS    187 


This  is  one  important  reason  why  the  bowels  should 
move  often,  at  least  three  times  a  day,  or  after  each  meal. 

Waste  substances  produced  by  bodily  activity  are 
in  part  changed  into  urea  by  means  of  special  ferments 
that  are  formed  by  the  cells  of  the  liver,  and  are  in 
this  way  prepared  for  3 

elimination  from  the  body 
by  another  of  the  poison 
filters,  the  kidneys.  The 
importance  of  the  work  of 
the  kidneys  in  removing 
poisons  is  shown  in  the 
fact  that  if  these  organs 
are  injured  or  crippled  by 
disease  so  that  they  are 
no  longer  capable  of  filter- 
ing out  the  poisons  from 
the  blood,  the  person  will 
pass  into  a  state  of  in- 
sensibility (coma)  which 
soon  ends  in  death. 

When  the  body  filters 
are  impaired  by  disease,  so  that  elimination  is  in- 
complete, or  when  poisons  are  taken  in  or  produced 
in  the  body  in  overwhelming  quantities,  the  result 
is  intoxication ,  or  poisoning. 

The  word  "intoxication"  brings  to  our  minds  a 
reeling  drunkard  ;  it  makes  us  think  of  the  saloon, 
the  police  station,  wrecked  homes,  and  ruined  lives. 


THE  KIDNEYS. 

I,  kidneys;  2,  renal  cavity;  3,  renal 
artery;  4,  descending  aorta;  5,  as- 
cending vena  cava ;  6,  ureter. 


i88  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

Alcoholic  intoxication  is,  however,  only  one  phase 
of  its  meaning.  "Intoxicate"  comes  from  the  Latin 
Auto  in  WOI"d  toxicare,  and  means  really,  "to  poison." 
toxication,  Now,  it  is  a  fact  that  a  great  many  more 
or  self-  people  are  poisoned  or  intoxicated  by  food 
ing'  than  by  strong  drink.  The  poisons  formed 
in  the  body  if  not  promptly  eliminated  are  just  as 
capable  of  producing  intoxication  as  are  poisons  taken 
into  the  body,  such  as  alcohol.  This  kind  of  poisoning 
is  called  auto-intoxication,  a  word  meaning  self-poisoning. 

The  most  common  form  of  this  kind  of  poisoning 
is  what  is  called  intestinal  intoxication,  -  -  that  is,  self- 
poisoning  with  poisons  that  are  absorbed  from  the 
intestine.  How  are  these  poisons  produced  ?  By 
germs,  in  the  same  way  as  poisons  are  produced  in 
any  decaying  substance. 

Pasteur,  the  French  scientist,  discovered  that  the 
intestinal  tract  is  swarming  with  bacteria.  Later 
investigators  estimated  the  number  produced  in  the 
intestine  daily  to  be  not  less  than  150,000,000,000,000, 
and  doubtless  the  number  is  sometimes  much  greater. 
These  germs  may  be  divided  into  two  classes — fer- 
mentation germs  and  putrefaction  germs  —  which  differ 
greatly  in  their  characteristics  and  in  the  substances 
that  they  produce  by  their  activity.  Fermentation 
germs  feed  upon  carbohydrates  and  produce  acids 
that  are  practically  harmless.  The  putrefaction  germs 
feed  upon  proteins  and  produce  toxins,  some  of  which 
are  almost  as  deadly  as  the  venom  of  snakes.  You 


BODY-FILTERS   FOR   DESTROYING   POISONS    189 

can  see  that  the  kind  of  germs  that  are  most  active 
in  the  intestine  must  depend  chiefly  upon  the  diet. 

Normal  human  beings  are  born  into  the  world 
entirely  free  from  bacteria.  Not  a  single  germ  is 
found  in  the  interior  of  the  new-born  infant.  Within 
a  few  hours  after  birth  —  four  to  six  hours  in  summer 
and  twenty  hours  in  winter  —  the  intestines  of  the 
infant  are  found  to  be  swarming  with  bacteria  of  the 
harmless  sort,  the  fermentation  germs,  or  acid-formers. 
These  acid-forming  germs  play  a  helpful  role.  Thanks 
to  their  action,  the  putrefaction  germs  can  not  thrive 
in  the  intestine,  for  these  latter  can  not  grow  in  acids. 

Professor  MetchnikofT,  of  whom  you  have  already 
heard,  in  making  investigations  as  to  the  causes  of 
old  age,  observed  that  in  the  places  where  the 


most  very  old  people  were  found,  sour  milk  to  km 
formed  a  large  part  of  the  diet  of  the  people.  harmful 
In    Bulgaria,    for   instance,    a   little   country  * 
with   only  four   million    people,    there    are   3000  cen- 
tenarians, or  persons  one  hundred  years  old,  or  more. 
In  other  words,  one  in  every  1300  of  the  population 
is  over  one  hundred  years  of  age.      In  this  country, 
with  a  population  of  100,000,000,  we  have  only  4000 
centenarians,  —  one    in    every    25,000.      In    Bulgaria 
there  are  nearly  twenty  times  as  many  centenarians,  in 
proportion  to  the  population,  as  there  are  in  the  United 
States. 

Sour  milk,  known  under  various  names  as  "yaghourt," 
"  matzoon,"  and  "leben,"  is  much  used  by  the  people 


190  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

of  Bulgaria  and  many  parts  of  Asia  and  Africa.  A  man 
carrying  pans  of  sour  milk  which  he  sells  under  the 
name  of  "matzoon"  is  a  common  sight  in  the  streets 
of  Constantinople.  A  similar  sour  milk  preparation 
known  as  "skyr"  is  highly  prized  in  Iceland.  A  fer- 
mented milk  is  used  in  India  under  the  name  of  "dahi." 

Sour  milk  contains  the  acid-forming  fermentation 
germs  whose  activities  prevent  the  decay  of  foods. 
If  meat,  which  easily  decays,  is  put  into  sour  milk, 
it  will  keep  indefinitely  if  the  milk  is  changed  every 
few  days.  This  method  of  preserving  meat  is  used 
in  some  countries.  In  the  writer's  laboratory  is  a 
piece  of  beefsteak  which  has  in  this  way  been  kept 
in  a  perfect  state  of  preservation  for  more  than  seven 
years.  The  lactic  acid  microbes  have  just  the  same 
effect  inside  the  body,  in  the  digestive  tube,  as  they 
have  outside  of  it.  For  this  reason  Professor  Metchni- 
kofif  recommends  the  drinking  of  sour  milk  as  a  means 
of  preventing  intestinal  putrefaction. 

Another  way  in  which  we  can  reduce  the  poison- 
forming  microbes  in  the  intestine  is  by  regulating 
Another  ^  ^^et  so  as  to  Pr°vide  as  little  food  for  them 
way  to  kill  as  possible.  The  food  of  the  putrefaction 
harmful  germ,  as  we  have  seen,  is  protein.  Foods 
which  contain  no  protein  —  for  example, 
sugar  —  cannot  putrefy.  Meat  and  eggs,  which  are 
chiefly  protein,  readily  putrefy.  Vegetable  substances 
are  not  likely  to  undergo  this  change  because  they 
contain  but  little  protein.  Besides  this,  Professor 


BODY-FILTERS   FOR  DESTROYING  POISONS    191 

Tissier,  of  the  Pasteur  Institute,  has  recently  shown 
by  experiments  that  animal  protein,  that  is,  meat,  fish, 
and  eggs,  decays  twice  as  readily  as  vegetable  protein. 

You  can  now  see  that  a  high-protein  diet,  especially 
when  it  consists  largely  of  animal  foods  such  as  meat 
and  eggs,  is  quite  likely  to  cause  disease.  When  more 
protein  is  eaten  than  can  be  easily  digested,  bacteria 
will  grow  in  the  undigested  remnants,  causing  putre- 
faction. The  toxins  formed  will  be  absorbed  into  the 
blood,  and  the  whole  body  will  be  poisoned.  A  series 
of  experiments  have  shown  that,  in  persons  living 
mainly  on  a  flesh  diet,  the  toxins  formed  in  the  intestine 
were  four  times  as  much  as  in  persons  living  on  a  low- 
protein  vegetable  diet.  It  has  also  been  shown  by 
experiment  that  the  kidney  secretion  frequently  con- 
tains several  times  as  much  poison  when  a  person  is 
living  largely  on  a  flesh  diet  as  when  he  is  living  on  a 
low-protein  diet.  In  such  cases  the  work  of  the  kidneys 
in  abstracting  the  poisons  from  the  blood  is  greatly 
increased,  and  they  are,  of  course,  more  likely  to  be- 
come worn  out  and  diseased. 

But  perhaps  the  chief  cause  of  self-poisoning  is  due 
to  the  retention  of  the  poisonous  decaying  material 
in  the  colon  (a  part  of  the  intestines),  especially  The  chief 
when  this  evil  is  combined  with  the  high-  cause  of 
protein  diet.     In  such  cases,  the  work  of  the  feif-poison- 
eliminative    organs    is    greatly    increased    to 
throw  off  the  poisonous  substances  that  ought  to  have 
been  discharged  through  the  bowels.     Sick  headache, 


192 


MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 


biliousness,  a  coated  tongue,  a  sallow  complexion, 
inability  to  concentrate  the  mind,  irritability  or  de- 
pression, offensive  breath  and  perspiration  —  these 
are  some  of  the  signs  of  this  condition.  If  these  warn- 

ings are  not  attended 
to,  more  serious  con- 
ditions are  likely  to 
develop,  --  chronic 
diseases  of  the  kid- 
neys, liver,  heart,  and 
blood  vessels,  as  a  re- 
sult of  the  poisons 
constantly  circulat7 
ing  in  the  blood.  A 
young  person  with 
sound  liver  and  kid- 
neys may  be  able  to 
tolerate  these  poisons 
for  a  long  time, 
though  they  will  be 


UNLESS    THE    INTESTINES    ARE    ACTIVE,    THE      constantly  und 

1*1  11  T} 

hls  health.     But 


PROGRESS     OF     DIGESTED     MATERIAL      IS      RE- 

TARDED. 


when  the  marvelous 

poison-destroying  machinery  of  the  body  becomes 
weakened  or  worn  out  by  overwork,  then  these  graver 
troubles  appear.  It  is  now  well  known  that  nearly 
all  the  changes  in  the  body  causing  the  so-called 
chronic  diseases  are  caused  by  the  absorption  of 
poisons  from  the  alimentary  canal,  especially  from  the 


BODY-FILTERS   FOR  DESTROYING  POISONS    193 


—  Gate   2 


large  intestine  or  colon  —  the  last  five  feet  of  the  food 
tube. 

Until  quite  recently  this  part  of  the  alimentary  canal 
has  been  regarded  as  of 
little  consequence,  be- 
cause its  use  is  so  largely 
that  of  a  receptacle  for 
unusable  and  waste  mat- 
ters, a  sort  of  human 
garbage  box.  You  know, 
however,  what  is  likely 
to  ensue  when  the  gar- 
bage receptacle  of  a 
house  is  neglected.  It 
becomes  a  breeding 
place  for  germs,  and  the 
health  of  the  inhabitants 
of  the  house  is  likely  to 
suffer.  Modern  investi- 
gators of  this  part  of  the 
intestine  have  shown 
that  by  neglect  this  re- 
ceptacle for  wastes  may 
become  a  sort  of  Pan- 

dora S    DOX    Or     miseries 
and  maladies.      So  many 

1  •  . 

and   so  serious  are  the 

troubles  of  mind   and   body  which   have  been  traced 

to  it,  that  it  has  even   been   seriously  suggested  by 


Gate 


COMPARE  THE  MOVEMENT  OF  THE  FOOD 
ALONG  THE  ALIMENTARY  CANAL  WITH  A 
RAILROAD  TRAIN.  NAME  THE  STATIONS. 


i94  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

some  scientists  that  the  removal  of  the  colon  from 
the  body  would  be  a  most  desirable  improvement. 

There  is  a  vast  army  of  invalids  throughout  the 
country  handicapped  by  chronic  ills.  Their  efficiency 
is  decreased  and  they  are  missing  much  of  the  joy  of 
living.  The  only  way  to  prevent  or  cure  these  chronic 
diseases  is  by  proper  habits  of  eating,  drinking,  breath- 
ing, exercise,  and  so  on.  Since  so  many  of  these  ills 
are  due,  as  we  have  seen,  to  the  poisoning  of  the  body 
from  the  contents  of  the  intestine,  it  is  a  very  important 
matter  to  attend  to  the  cleanliness  of  the  colon,  reducing 
as  much  as  possible  the  poison-forming  microbes  con- 
tained in  it,  (i)  by  a  wholesome  dietary;  (2)  by  the 
proper  regulation  of  the  bowels.  No  matter  what  the 
diet  may.be,  if  the  wastes  are  not  promptly  removed, 
toxins  will  be  absorbed  into  the  blood. 

The  movement  of  the  food  along  the  alimentary 
canal  may  be  compared  to  that  of  a  train  of  cars  from 
The  diges-  station  to  station.  By  consulting  a  time- 
tion  time  table,  one  may  know  just  when  a  train  is  due. 
A  physiologist  has  made  a  digestion  time- 
table, which  gives  the  time  when  the  food  eaten  at  a 
meal  is  due  to  arrive  at  certain  stations  in  the  alimen- 
tary canal. 

TIME-TABLE  FOR  DIGESTION 

Mouth  (for  mastication)    .  .  .  \  hour 

Stomach      .     .     .   -.     .     .  .  .  4^  to  5  hours 

Small  intestines   .    v    .     .  -.  .  4  to  9  hours 

Colon  (to  fill  and  empty)  .  .  .  9  to  18  hours 


BODY-FILTERS  FOR  DESTROYING  POISONS    195 

Of  course  the  time  depends  upon  the  conditions 
under  which  the  food  is  eaten. 

By  mixing  bismuth  with  the  food  eaten  it  is  now 
possible  by  means  of  X-ray  examinations  to  trace 
the  progress  of  the  food  through  the  tube,  and  find  out 
if  it  is  on  time  at  the  different  stations,  and  if  not,  just 
where  the  delay  is  caused. 

The  kind  and  quantity  of  the  food  eaten  influence 
to  some  degree,  of  course,  the  time  necessary  for  diges- 
tion. But  these  figures,  which  are  nearly  correct, 
show  that  the  wastes  should  be  ready  to  pass  out  of 
the  body  in  twelve  to  sixteen  hours  from  the  time  the 
food  is  eaten.  If  they  are  then  promptly  removed, 
there  is  little  opportunity  for  dangerous  poisons  to 
be  formed.  But  when  they  are  permitted  to  remain 
twenty-four  hours,  and  even,  as  in  some  cases,  for  sev- 
eral days,  the  intestine  may  become  a  sort  of  obstructed 
sewer,  flooding  the  body  with  nerve-paralyzing  and 
disease-producing  poisons. 

The  body,  you  must  remember,  is  a  sort  of  tube 
with  an  outside  skin  and  an  inside  skin,  and  the  latter 
is  the  lining  of  the  alimentary  canal.  Many  persons 
who  would  not  think  of  allowing  the  outside  skin  to 
become  filthy  are  not  at  all  particular  about  the  inside 
skin,  perhaps  because  they  can  not  see  it.  If  the 
outside  skin  becomes  dirty,  much  of  the  impurity  is  cast 
off  in  the  perspiration  and  in  other  ways ;  but  if  the 
lining  skin  becomes  dirty,  the  impurities  are  likely  to 
be  absorbed  into  the  blood  to  poison  the  body. 


196  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

Remember  that  the  food  is  much  more  likely  to 
arrive  on  time  at  the  different  stations  when  it  has 
Thin  sthat  bulk,  which  stimulates  the  wall  of  the  intestine 
encourage  and  makes  it  more  active.  Fruits,  vegetables, 
intestinal  ancj  salads  are  useful  for  this  purpose,  because 
of  the  indigestible  cellulose  they  contain. 
Foods  that  are  completely  digested,  leaving  little  or 
no  remains,  such  as  rice,  boiled  milk,  bananas,  potatoes, 
and  fine  flour  bread,  are  constipating  foods,  simply 
because  they  do  not  leave  sufficient  indigestible  residue 
to  incite  .the  intestine  to  action. 

When  the  bowels  do  not  move  frequently  and 
thoroughly,  the  colon  becomes  distended.  It  is  over- 
stretched in  all  directions  so  that  it  becomes  too  long 
as  well  as  too  large.  Sometimes  folds  and  "kinks" 
form,  which  greatly  cripple  the  bowels  and  produce 
obstinate  constipation.  The  overstretching  also  causes 
serious  injury  by  destroying  or  rendering  incompetent 
the  ileocecal  valve,  —  an  interesting  structure  which 
Nature  has  placed  at  the  lower  end  of  the  small  intes- 
tine where  it  joins  the  colon,  a  check  valve  to  prevent 
the  filthy  fecal  matters  of  the  colon  from  backing  up 
into  the  small  intestine.  Examinations  with  the  X-ray 
have  shown  that  this  condition  is  very  common  and  a 
serious  cause  of  sick  headache,  so-called  biliousnes,  and 
many  other  distressing  ailments. 

Exercise  is  another  means  by  which  the  intestine 
is  mechanically  set  into  action.  Vigorous  exercise, 
especially  that  which  causes  bendings  of  the  body  and 


BODY-FILTERS   FOR  DESTROYING  POISONS    197 

movements  of  the  legs,  sets  the  diaphragm  and  ab- 
dominal muscles  at  work  in  such  a  way  that  between 
the  two  the  intestines  are  vigorously  kneaded  and 
squeezed  and  thus  stimulated  to  action.  Deep  breath- 
ing exercises  and  massage  of  the  abdomen  are  also 


BASKET  BALL  AND  SIMILAR  GAMES  FURNISH  .FINE  EXERCISE  FOR  ALL  THE  BODY, 
INCLUDING  THE  ABDOMINAL  MUSCLES. 

useful  for  this  purpose.  Drinking  cold  water,  especially 
at  bed  time  and  the  first  thing  in  the  morning,  is  another 
means  of  encouraging  this  intestinal  action. 

But  the  most  powerful  of  all  natural  stimulants  of 
the  intestine  is  just  eating,  taking  food  into  the  stomach. 
Very  soon  after  food  enters  the  mouth  a  wave  of  action 
is  started  in  the  stomach  and  it  passes  along  the  entire 


198  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

tube.  X-ray  examinations  show  that  the  intestinal 
contents  move  four  times  as  fast  during  a  meal  as  dur- 
ing the  intervals  between  meals.  Regular  meal  hours 
are  necessary  to  produce  regular  bowel  movements. 
Missing  a  meal  interrupts  the  natural  rhythm  and  is 
likely  to  cause  the  waste  material  to  be  retained  too 
long.  If  a  full  meal  can  not  be  taken  at  mealtime,  a 
little  fruit  or  fruit  juice  should  be  taken  for  the  benefit 
of  the  bowels. 

Persons  suffering  from  troubles  caused  by  self- 
poisoning  sometimes  try  to  improve  their  condition 
Fasting  not  by  long  fasting,  —  abstaining  from  food  en- 
agood  tirely  for  a  long  period.  This  is  not  a  good 
remedy.  remedy,  for  several  reasons.  When  a  person 
is  fasting,  the  body  does  not  actually  go  without  food, 
but  feeds  on  the  fats  and  proteins  of  its  own  tissues. 
As  a  result  of  this  high-protein  diet  an  increased 
amount  of  toxins  is  formed  in  the  body.  Examina- 
tions made  of  fasting  persons  have  shown  that  an 
unusual  amount  of  poisons  is  being  eliminated.  Be- 
sides this,  the  natural  arousing  of  the  intestine  furnished 
by  the  taking  in  of  food  does  not  take  place,  and  so 
the  bowels  remain  inactive.  Yet  bile  is  being  formed, 
and  poisonous  matters  are  being  given  off  as  usual  by 
the  mucous  membrane  of  the  intestine ;  and  it  is 
necessary  that  these  wastes  should  be  removed.  A 
better  way  to  starve  out  the  putrefaction  germs  is  to 
confine  the  diet  for  a  time  to  ripe,  fresh  fruit  and  green 
vegetables.  This  diet  provides  some  nourishment, 


BODY -FILTERS   FOR   DESTROYING  POISONS    199 

gives  sufficient  bulk  to  stimulate  the  intestine  to 
activity,  and  cleanses  the  alimentary  canal ;  but  it 
provides  no  food  for  the  poison-forming  microbes. 

The  "call"  to  bowel  movement  is  like  the  call  of 
the  alarm  clock  set  to  awaken  one  in  the  morning. 
If  not  responded  to,  it  soon  ceases  to  be  heard.  It 
is  like  the  voice  of  conscience,  which  may  be  wholly 
stifled  by  continued  disregard.  This  is  only  working 
of  a  general  law.  A  continuous  sensation  that  is  ignored 
by  and  by  makes  no  impression.  The  first  time  a 
"call"  is  disregarded  it  may  be  heard  again  after 
the  next  meal  or  as  the  result  of  some  other  influence 
which  sets  up  intestinal  action.  But  after  having 
been  disregarded  or  resisted  many  times,  the  "call" 
becomes  less  and  less  distinct,  until  it  may  even  cease 
to  be  heard  at  all,  because  the  nerves  charged  with  this 
duty  have  lost  their  sensibility.  This  loss  is  almost  as 
bad  as  the  loss  of  a  fortune ;  indeed,  a  condition  of 
constipation  has  more  than  once  led  to  loss  of  fortune 
and  to  worse  results. 

HEALTH  PROBLEMS 

1.  Show  why  it  is  or  is  not  right  to  speak  of  the  kidneys  as 
"body  filters." 

2.  What   do   you   think   of  when   you   hear   the   word    "in- 
toxicated" ?    Is  a  sick  person  really  intoxicated?     Why,? 

3*  Do  ferfrientation  germs  work  on  things  outside  the  body? 
If  so,  mention  what  things. 

4.  How  can  you  tell  when  putrefaction  germs  are  at  .work  on 
anything  ? 


200  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

5.  How  old  is  the  oldest  person  in  your  community  ?     Find 
out  something  about  his  diet  and  habits  of  living. 

6.  Try  the  experiment  of  preserving  a  small  piece  of  meat  in 
sour  milk,  and  report  the  result  to  the  class. 

7.  Would  you  allow  garbage  to  collect  near  your  house  until  it 
became  the  breeding  place  of  dangerous  germs  ?     Should  a  person 
be  willing  to  let  waste  materials  collect  in  his  body  in  this  way  ? 

8.  Read  and  tell  the  story  of  Pandora's  Box.     How  may  the 
colon  become  a  veritable  Pandora's  Box  of  troubles  ? 

9.  What  is  your  dinner  time  ?     Find  out  from  the  digestion 
table  just  when  your  food  is  due  at  different  stations  in  the  body. 

10.  Can  a  person  be  thought  really  clean  unless  his  inside  skin 
as  well  as  his  outside  skin  is  clean  ?     Mention  some  ways  which 
help  to  keep  the  inside  skin  clean. 

REVIEW  QUESTIONS 

1.  How  are  poisons  constantly  being  formed  in  the  body  ? 

2.  What  is  the  pulmonary  circulation  ? 

3.  What  is  the  portal  circulation  ? 

4.  Name  the  poison  filters  in  the  body. 

5.  What  is  the  most  wonderful  organ  in  the  body  besides  the 
brain?    Why? 

6.  What  is  the  most  important  function  of  the  liver?     Tell 
about  how  it  performs  this  function. 

7.  What  is  the  bile  ?    .Of  what  use  is  it  ? 

8.  Of  what  use  are  the  kidneys  ? 

9.  What   happens   when   the   liver  and    the   kidneys   are  in- 
jured by  disease  ? 

10.  What  is  "auto-intoxication"  ? 

11.  What  two  kinds  of  germs   are  found  in  the  intestines? 
What  does  each  produce  ? 

12.  Which  germ  feeds  on  carbohydrates?     Which  upon  pro- 
teins ? 


BODY-FILTERS  FOR  DESTROYING  POISONS    201 

13.  What  did  Professor  Metchnikoff  find  in  his  experiments 
as  to  the  causes  of  old  age  ? 

14.  What  foods  putrefy  most  easily  ? 

15.  How  may  the  diet  be  regulated  so  as  to  reduce  the  number 
of  poison-forming  microbes  in  the  body  ? 

1 6.  What  effect  has  the  retaining  of  wastes  upon  one's  health  ? 
Why  ?     What  may  result  from  neglecting  the  warning  to  expel 
the  wastes  of  the  body  ? 

17.  How  soon  after  food  is  eaten  should  the  wastes  pass  out  of 
the  body  ? 

18.  What  foods  stimulate  intestinal  activity? 

19.  What  effect  has  exercise  upon  intestinal  activity  ? 

20.  Is  fasting  a  good  remedy  for  auto-intoxication  ?     Why  ? 

21.  What  is  intestinal  action  ?     How  is  it  caused,  and  what  is 
its  importance  ? 


CHAPTER  XII 


How  THE  BODY  RENEWS  ITSELF 

ABOUT  one   third  of  our  life  —  eight  hours  out  of 
the    twenty-four  —  is    spent    in    sleep.     Why    is    this 

necessary  ?  It 
would  be  most 
unwise  to  spend 
one  third  of  our 
time  in  bed  un- 
less we  accom- 
plish something 
by  it.  This 
period  of  in- 
activity gives 
the  little  cell 
builders  of  the 
body  the  op- 
portunity to  carry  on  the  work  of  repair  and  prepare 
the  body  for  more  work  in  the  future. 

Some  people  keep  their  houses  always  "in  good 
repair."  A  broken  pane  of  glass  is  at  once  replaced 
Keeping  by  a  new  one-  A  leakage  in  the  roof  is  mended 
"in good  before  there  is  a  chance  for  the  house  to  be 
damaged  by  water's  leaking  through.  The 
woodwork  of  the  house  is  preserved  by  being  given  a 

202 


WINDOWS  ALL  CLOSED:    PUPILS  DULL  AND  DROWSY. 


HOW  THE   BODY   RENEWS   ITSELF         203 


fresh  coat  of  paint  whenever  necessary.  But  some 
shiftless  people  let  their  houses  "run  down"  until  there 
is  such  an  accumulation  of  repairing  work  to  be  done 
on  it  that  they  either  have  to  move  out  altogether  or 
else  be  put  to  great  inconvenience  while  the  house  is 
turned  over  to  the  workmen  for  the  necessary  repairs. 
When  a  person  does  not  take  enough  sleep  every 
t  we  nty-four 
hours  to  keep 
the  body  "in 
good  repair," 
the  amount  of 
work  to  be  done 
on  it  accumu- 
lates, until 
finally  he  has 
to  take  a  long 
period  of  rest 
on  account  of 
nerve  exhaus- 
tion or  some  other  malady  caused  by  his  being  "out 
of  repair." 

A  scientist  who  wanted  to  find  out  the   effects  of 
work   upon   the   nerve   cells   made    some    experiments 
with  birds  for  this  purpose.     Dr.  Hodge  took  Aninterest- 
the  active  little  English  sparrow  and  made  ing  experi- 
examinations  in  the  morning  after  a  night's  ment> 
rest  and  again  in  the  evening  after  a  day's  activity. 
He  found  that  in  the  evening  the  cells  were  shrunken 


WINDOWS  OPEN:    PUPILS  ALERT  AND  INTERESTED. 


204  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

and  much  smaller  than  they  were  in  the  morning. 
Experiments  with  swallows  and  bees  showed  the  same 
thing.  Before  work,  the  cells  were  round,  smooth,  and 
regular ;  but  after  a  long  period  of  work  they  were  ir- 
regular in  appearance,  shrunken,  and  j  agged .  During  the 
day  the  birds  were  using  up  nervous  energy  ;  the  nerve 
cells  were  broken  down  faster  than  they  were  built  up. 

All  the  tissues  of  the  body  are  built  up  while  we 
are  asleep.  Sleep  is  the  time  of  growth,  of  renewal 
sleep  for  an(l  rebuilding.  One  reason  an  infant  grows 
body  build-  so  fast  is  because  it  sleeps  so  much.  When  a 
person  loses  sleep  he  is  likely  to  become  pale. 
After  a  good  rest  his  color  will  probably  improve  and 
he  will  look  as  though  he  had  more  blood  circulating 
in  his  veins.  If  a  drop  of  blood  from  a  person  who  has 
lost  several  nights'  sleep  is  examined  under  the  micro- 
scope and  the  cells  counted,  it  will  be  found  to  have 
fewer  blood  cells  and  less  hemoglobin  than  normally. 
But  if  examined  again  after  several  nights  of  good 
sound  sleep,  it  will  be  found  that  both  blood  cells  and 
hemoglobin  have  increased.  The  blood  is  made  prin- 
cipally while  we  are  sleeping. 

Another  important  thing  that  takes  place  in  sleep 
is  the  storing  up  of  oxygen  in  the  tissues.  When  we 
are  active  we  use  up  the  oxygen  that  we  store  up 
while  asleep.  For  this  reason,  it  is  important  that 
one  should  get  as  much  fresh  air  as  possible  during 
sleep.  This  can,  of  course,  best  be  done  by  sleep- 
ing outdoors.  Most  modern  houses  now  contain  out- 


HOW  THE  BODY  RENEWS  ITSELF         205 

door  sleeping  apartments.  People  obliged  to  do  sed- 
entary work  indoors  during  the  day  can  at  least  spend 
one  third  of  their  time  —  the  sleeping  hours -- in  the 
fresh  air. 


MOST   PEOPLE   ARE    REFRESHED   MUCH    MORE    BY    SLEEPING   OUT-DOORS    THAN  . 

INDOORS. 

Dr.  Mosso's  balancing  board  showed,  you  will  remem- 
ber, a  change  in  the  balance  when  the  person  reclining 
on  it  fell  asleep.  The  feet  went  down  and  Chan  es  ^ 
the  head  up.  What  caused  this  change  ?  If  the  circuia- 
the  person  were  suddenly  awakened,  the  tion  durins 
balance  would  be  reversed.  The  feet  would 
come  up  and  the  head  would  go  down,  showing  that 
the  amount  of  blood  in  the  brain  had  increased. 


206  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

The  nerve  center  that  has  control  of  the  blood  Vessels, 
or  the  vasomotor  center,  as  it  is  called,  is  situated  in  the 
medulla  oblongata  (See  The  Body  in  Health,  p.  211) 
at  the  base  of  the  brain.  We  might  compare  the 
vasomotor  center  to  a  factory  superintendent's  office 
from  which  directions  are  telephoned  to  the  foremen 
of  the  different  departments.  The  vasomotor  center 
in  this  way  holds  a  grip,  as  it  were,  upon  all  the  blood 
vessels  of  the  body.  When  the  vasomotor  center 
becomes  tired,  it  loses  its  grip  to  some  extent,  so  that 
the  blood  vessels  of  the  body  relax  or  dilate  and  so 
contain  more  blood,  and  this  means,  of  course,  less 
blood  in  the  brain.  The  blood  recedes  from  the  brain 
to  the  extremities.  In  a  patient  in  whom  Dr.  Mosso 
was  able  to  see  the  brain  through  a  hole  in  the  skull, 
he  noticed  that  its  volume  decreased  in  sleep,  while 
careful  measurements  with  an  instrument  called  a 
plethysmograph  showed  that  the  volume  of  the  extremi- 
ties--the  hands  and  arms,  the  feet  and  legs --in- 
creased, showing  that  they  contained  more  blood. 
This  change  seems  to  be  for  the  purpose  of  keeping 
the  limbs  warm  during  the  inactive  period  of  sleep. 

A  person  who  is  tired  has  less  blood  in  the  brain 
than  one  who  is  fresh,  and  this  decrease  of  blood  in 
the  brain  is  thought  to  be  one  of  the  principal  causes 
of  sleep.  We  all  know  that  anything  which  tends 
to  send  the  blood  to  the  brain,  —  mental  activity 
or  excitement,  —  causes  wakefulness  ;  while,  on  the 
other  hand,  anything  that  tends  to  draw  the  blood 


HOW  THE  BODY  RENEWS  ITSELF         207 

away  from  the  brain,  —  a  heavy  meal,  for  instance, 
-  makes  us  drowsy.  A  hot  foot  bath  or  "leg  pack"  is 
useful  in  producing  sleep,  because  by  drawing  the 
blood  to  the  extremities  it  will  lessen  the  amount  in 
the  brain. 

Even  a  sleepy  person  will  become  wide  awake  at 
once  if  something  occurs  which  specially  interests 
him,  because  the  brain  begins  to  exert  itself  and  so 
calls  for  more  blood.  You  can  see  an  instance  of  this 
in  almost  any  public  gathering.  When  the  exercises 
are  dull,  you  are  pretty  sure  to  see  some  of  the  people 
falling  asleep.  But  if  the  lecturer  begins  to  tell  an 
interesting  story  or  to  throw  pictures  upon,  a  screen, 
everybody  wakes  up,  because  his  interest  in  the  pro- 
ceedings draws  more  blood  to  the  brain. 

Experiments  have  shown  that  at    night   when  we 
are  tired  our  nerves  do  not  respond   as  readily  as  in 
the   morning   when   we   are   fresh.     This    is  Duiim^ 
thought   to  be  due  largely  to  the  presence  due  to 
in  the  blood  of  the  fatigue  poisons  resulting  tiredness- 
from   work.     The   lessened    activity   of  the    nervous 
system  when  we  are  tired  causes  us  to  be  less  sensitive 
to  our  surroundings.     We  lose  our  keen   interest   in 
what  is  taking  place  about  us,  the  brain  calls  for  little 
blood,  and  we  may  drop  off  into  sleep. 

The  influence  of  sense-excitement  in  keeping  us 
awake  was  shown  in  a  case  reported  by  a  German 
scientist  of  a  boy  under  his  care.  This  boy,  who  was 
fourteen  years  of  age,  had  a  peculiar  disease  of  the 


208  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

nervous  system  which  cut  him  off  from  all  communica- 
tion with  the  outside  world,  except  by  means  of  one  eye 
and  one  ear.  He  had  lost  the  sense  of  touch,  and  of 
pain,  heat,  and  cold  ;  he  could  neither  taste  nor  smell. 
When  Professor  Strumpel  would  tell  the  boy  to  close 
his  eye  and  would  then  plug  the  ear  with  cotton,  thus 
closing  up  all  the  avenues  to  the  world  without,  the 
boy  would  immediately  fall  asleep.  Have  you  noticed 
that  a  child  who  is  apparently  not  at  all  sleepy  will, 
if  made  to  lie  down  in  a  quiet  darkened  room,  soon 
fall  asleep  ? 

One  sleeps  more  soundly  in  darkness  than  in  light, 
because  some  light  creeps  in  even  through  the  closed 
Things  that  eyelids  and  stimulates  the  brain  to  some  de- 
prevent  gree.  You  can  tell  at  once  with  your  eyes 
sleep>  closed  whether  or  not  there  is  a  light  in  the 
room.  Some  people  are  in  the  habit  of  keeping  arti- 
ficial light  in  their  bedrooms.  Do  you  think  "night 
lights"  are  a  good  thing  ? 

Any  kind  of  stimulus  acting  upon  us  during  the 
sleeping  hours  makes  our  sleep  less  sound  and  refresh- 
ing. You  know  how  difficult  it  is  to  sleep  indoors  on 
a  hot  midsummer  night.  Our  nerves  are  then  con- 
stantly irritated  by  the  heat.  Or  in  the  cold  weather, 
when  the  bed  clothing  is  not  sufficient,  one  may  be 
aware  of  being  cold,  even  when  partly  asleep. 

But  perhaps  the  thing  that  has  the  most  disturbing 
effect  upon  sleep  is  noise.  You  know  how  anxious  a 
mother  with  a  sleeping  baby  is  to  avoid  the  least  noise 


HOW  THE  BODY  RENEWS  ITSELF         209 

in  the  house.     When  one  is  falling  asleep  the  power 
to  recognize  sounds  lasts  longest.     As  one   awakens, 


A    NOISY    STREET. 


he  is  able  to  recognize  sounds  before  he  is  able  to  make 
a  voluntary  movement.  The  period  of  soundest  sleep 
has  been  determined  by  noting  the  distance  through 


210  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

which  a  brass  ball  must  fall  to  the  floor  in  order  to 
awaken  a  sleeper.  The  greater  the  distance  the  ball 
falls, |pf  course,  the  greater  the  noise  it  makes  when 
it  stripes  the  floor.  It  has  been  found  that  it  requires 

1'er  noise  to  awaken  a  sleeper  during  the  first 
of  sleep  than  at  any  other  period.     This  fact 

that  sleep  is  soundest  during  the  first  hours, 
of  Dr.  Mosso's  patients  with  whom  he  made 
sonijf  interesting  experiments  was  a  man  whose  head 
had  jbeen  injured  by  a  brick  dropped  upon  it  by  another 
marifwhen  they  were  at  work  upon  a  church  building. 
As  fjresult  of  this  he  had  a  small  hole  in  the  middle  of 
his  fprehead,  through  which  the  brain  could  be  seen 
steadily  throbbing.  By  means  of  a  delicate  instru- 
ment-that could  be  inserted  through  the  hole,  the  brain 
was  Made  to  keep  the  record  of  its  own  pulsations,  as  the 
pulsdmay  be  made  to  do  by  means  of  the  sphygmograph 
of  wr^ch  you  have  learned.  A  pencil  connected  with 
the  instrument  made  lines  upon  a  piece  of  paper,  in 
this  way  showing  the  blood  supply  to  the  brain  and 
so  telling  the  story  of  its  activity.  One  of  the  interest- 
ing things  that  Dr.  Mosso  discovered  by  this  means 
was  that  even  during  sleep  the  brain  responds  to  out- 
side disturbances.  Any  noise  in  the  room,  though  not 
loud  enough  to  awaken  the  sleeper,  made  a  change  in 
the  record  that  was  being  made  by  the  brain.  It 
caused  a  certain  amount  of  activity  of  the  brain, 
which  drew  an  increased  amount  of  blood  to  that 
organ  and  so  made  the  sleep  less  sound. 


HOW  THE  BODY  RENEWS  ITSELF         211 

.:/\  .>  • 

One  is  not  awakened  so  readily  by  a  noise  to  which 
he  is  accustomed  as  by  a  strange  noise.     We  may  get 
used  to  noise  so  that  we  are  able  to  sleep  Bedlam  in 
through  it ;    but   even  then    the  sound   im-  our  cities- 
pressions    pouring    into   the   brain    have    some    effect 
upon  us,  making  our  sleep  less  sound  and  restful.     A 


A   NOISY   FACTORY  DISTRICT. 

person  living  in  the  midst  of  noise  such  as  is  common 
to-day  in  our  large  cities  gets  no  really  complete  rest 
day  or  night.  Asleep  or  awake,  the  nerve  centers 
are  constantly  receiving  a  torrent  of  irritating  noises. 
Noisy  factories  are  permitted  to  locate  in  the  center 
of  residential  districts.  Locomotives  and  factories  are 
allowed  to  blow  powerful  whistles  and  steam  sirens 
which  in  some  cases  make  the  windows  rattle  a  mile 


212  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

away.  In  these  days,  when  every  one  can  afford  a 
dollar  watch,  these  air-piercing  sounds  to  summon 
people  to  their  work  are  not  necessary.  Then  there 
is  the  trolley  car,  with  its  "screamer,"  the  cry  of  the 
newsboy  and  the  huckster,  arid  the  screeching  of  the 
horns  of  automobiles  flying  over  the  country  in  all 
directions.  This  great  increase  of  noise  comes  just  when 
people  are  beginning  to  live  out  of  doors  as  much  as 
possible,  and  windows  are  kept  wide  open  day  and  night. 

It  has  been  shown  that  the  nervous  system  has  a 
kind  of  invisible  armor  against  harmful  influences, 
which  the  physiologist  calls  the  quality  of  resistance. 
But  this  resistance  of  the  nerve  cells  requires  the  ex- 
penditure of  energy,  so  that  the  nervous  system  is 
constantly  taxed  to  maintain  protection  against  the 
great  volume  of  noises.  A  person  who  is  kept  in  a 
noisy  place  continually  finds  it  difficult  to  adjust 
himself  to  stillness.  A  boy  who  had  spent  his  life  in 
the  ceaseless  uproar  of  a  great  city,  upon  his  first  visit 
to  the  country  cried  out,  "Oh,  it  is  too  much !  the 
stillness  hurts !" 

"What  we  need  now,"  says  Dr.  Lyman  Abbott, 
"is  a  National  Crusade  for  Quiet.  It  is  not  a  matter 
Preventing  of  sentiment,  nor  even  a  matter  of  comfort ;  it 
noise.  js  a  matter  of  sanity,  of  thoiightfulness  for 
the  sick,  and  of  decent  consideration  for  the  nerves  of 


a  nation.5 


In  respect  to  the  suppression  of  noise,  the  city  of 
Berlin  sets  an  example  to  the  world.     Berlin  is  one  of 


HOW  THE   BODY   RENEWS   ITSELF         213 

the  most  active  cities  of  the  world,  yet  its  inhabitants 
never  hear  a  steam  whistle,  the  rattle  of  wagons,  the 
shriek  of  a  locomotive,  or  a  huckster's  cry.  Even 
musical  sounds,  such  as  piano-playing,  are  not  per- 
mitted after  a  certain  hour  at  night  nor  before  a  certain 
hour  in  the  morning. 

A  number  of  large  cities  in  this  country  have  already 
abolished  the  blowing  of  steam  whistles  and  the  ringing 
of  bells  in  the  freight  yards.  Many  of  the  largest 
factories  use  no  whistle  or  steam  signals,  but  their 
army  of  employees  come  to  their  work  by  the  clock, 
and  the  starting  up  of  the  engine  is  the  signal  for  the 
beginning  of  work.  Muffling  or  sound-deadening  de- 
vices are  available  for  application  to  engines.  When 
it  is  absolutely  necessary  to  make  a  loud  noise  there 
is  no  reason  why,  as  has  been  suggested,  the  sound 
should  not  be  musical  instead  of  nerve-racking.  Pref- 
erence is  being  given  in  some  places  to  those  forms  of 
street-paving  which  combine  durability  with  sound- 
muffling  qualities.  In  some  cities  there  is  a  movement 
to  establish  "zones  of  quiet"  around  all  the  school 
buildings  and  hospitals.  Should  you  approve  such 
movements  as  these  ? 

The  condition  of  the  body  as  well  as  the  conditions 
in  the  environment  have  their  effect  upon  one's  sleep. 
People  who  are  happy  and  contented  usually  The  effect 
sleep  well.     But  sleep  is  most  likely   to  be  of  drugs  on 
disturbed  in  persons  who  are  suffering  from  sleep' 
worry,    anxiety,    fright,    a    bad    conscience.     People 


214 


MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 


suffering  from  insomnia,  or  sleeplessness,  sometimes 
resort  to  drugs  to  make  them  sleep.  One  of  the  most 
noted  nerve  specialists  of  this  country  says  that  "Any 
drug  that  will  put  a  man  to  sleep  will  do  him  harm  in 
some  way."  It  may  in  extreme  cases  sometimes  be 
necessary  to  use  drugs  for  a  short  time  in  order  to 
avoid  the  greater  injury  that  would  be  caused  by  loss 

of  sleep.  But  it 
is  an  important 
point  to  remember 
that  the  continued 
use  of  drugs  to  in- 
duce sleep  always 
results  in  chronic 
insomnia.  A  per- 
son who  gets  into 
the  habit  of  using 
morphine,  for  in- 
stance, will  be- 
come unable  to 
rest  without  it, 

and  he  must  keep  on  increasing  the  dose  in  order  to 
get  any  effect  from  it.  His  system  becomes  filled 
with  the  poison  until  he  is  good  for  nothing  and  is 
likely  to  end  up  in  the  insane  asylum. 

A  regular  hour  for  retiring  is  conducive  to  sleep  and 
therefore  to  health.  The  keeping  of  irregular  hours  is 
a  bad  habit  that  sometimes  causes  insomnia.  Young 
people  who  are  ambitious  and  who  want  to  get  through 


WHOLESOME   EXERCISE  OUT   OF  DOORS  is  BETTER 

THAN   DRUGS   TO   CURE    SLEEPLESSNESS. 


HOW  THE  BODY  RENEWS  ITSELF         215 

a  college  course,  or  make  money,  or  gain  time  for 
any  work,  sometimes  try  to  do  so  by  shortening  their 
hours  of  rest.  But  nature  is  not  to  be  cheated  in  this 
way.  "Whoever  takes  up  life  beforehand,"  says  Dr. 
Johnson,  "by  depriving  himself  of  rest  and  refreshment, 
must  not  only  pay  back  the  hours,  but  pay  them  back 
with  usury." 

A  simple  and  harmless  remedy  for  sleeplessness,  and 
one  which  should  be  known  to  every  one,  is  the  neutral 
bath.  This  is  simply  a  bath  in  an  ordinary  bathtub 
taken  just  before  going  to  bed.  The  important  thing 
is  to  have  the  temperature  just  right.  The  tempera- 
ture should  be  92°  to  96°.  Never  more  nor  less.  The 
duration  of  the  bath  is  usually  about  half  an  hour,  at 
the  end  of  which  time  drowsiness  will  be  experienced,  or 
the  bather  may  even  fall  asleep  in  the  bath.  In  very 
obstinate  cases,  the  duration  of  the  bath  may  be  ex- 
tended to  an  hour  or  two.  This  simple  remedy  almost 
never  fails  when  faithfully  applied. 

HEALTH  PROBLEMS 

1.  How   many   hours   do   you   sleep   every   night?     Do  your 
parents  sleep  as  many  hours  as  you  do  ? 

2.  How  many  hours  a  day  does  a  baby  usually  sleep  ?     Is  this 
necessary  ?     Why  ? 

3.  Describe  some  person  you  have  seen  who  has  been  losing  a 
good  deal  of  sleep. 

4.  Have  you  slept  in  a  room  with  the  windows  closed  ?     How 
did  you  feel  when  you  wake.d  up  ? 

5.  What  makes  people  sometimes  talk  or  walk  in  their  sleep  ? 


216  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

6.  Perhaps  you  have  noticed  that  your  shoes  sometimes  seem 
tighter  in  the  morning  than  they  are  later  in  the  day.     What 
causes  this  ? 

7.  Why  do  people  become  pale  when  they  are  very  tired  ? 

8.  Write  a  little  essay  on  Sound  Sleep,  telling  all  the  conditions 
necessary  for  complete  rest. 

9.  Why  is  it  that  a  nurse  often  sleeps  soundly  through  a  great 
deal  of  noise,  but  wakes  instantly  when  her  patient  moans  or 
rings  the  bell  ? 

10.  Listen  to  the  noises  you  hear  when  you  wake  up  in  the 
morning.     What  are  the  loudest  and  most  unpleasant  ?     Could 
they  be  avoided  ? 

11.  If  a  Crusade  for  Quiet  should  be  started  in  your  community, 
what  noises  do  you  think  could  be  done  away  with?     Are  your 
streets  paved  with  material  that  has  sound-muffling  qualities  ? 

12.  What  means  should  you  suggest  for  inducing  a  wakeful 
person  to  sleep  ? 

REVIEW  QUESTIONS 

1.  What  work  is  accomplished  in  our  bodies  while  we  sleep  ? 

2.  When  a  person  loses  sleep,  how  is  his  blood  affected  ? 

3.  Why  is  it  important  that  a  person  should  get  as  much  fresh 
air  as  possible  during  sleep  ? 

4.  What  functions  are  suspended  during  sleep  ? 

5.  What  nerve  center  has  control  of  the  blood  vessels  ? 

6.  Describe  the  changes  that  take  place  in  the  circulation  during 
sleep. 

7.  Why  does  excitement  make  us  wakeful  ? 

8.  What  effect  does  a  hot  foot  bath  have  on  a  wakeful  person  ? 
Why? 

9.  Tell  about  the  boy  whom  the  German  scientist  studied. 

10.  In  what  two  ways  may  sleep  be  induced  ? 

11.  What  things  are  necessary  for  healthy  sleep? 

12.  When  is  sleep  the  soundest? 


HOW  THE   BODY  RENEWS  ITSELF         217 

13.  What  has  been  discovered  about  the  response  of  the  brain 
to  noise  during  sleep  ? 

14.  Do  people  living  in  noisy  cities  ever  have  complete  rest  ? 
Why? 

15.  How  does  stillness  affect  people  who  have  been  used  to 
constant  noise  ? 

16.  Explain  what  is  meant  by  a  Crusade  for  Quiet. 

17.  What  effect  has  a  person's  mental  condition  on  his  sleep  ? 

18.  What  harm  is  caused  by  the  use  of  drugs  to  induce  sleep  ? 

19.  What  effect  on  sleep  has  the  eating  of  a  heavy  meal  just 
before  going  to  bed  ? 

20.  Why  is  it  well  to  go  to  bed  at  the  same  hour  every  night  ? 


CHAPTER  XIII 
GERM  PLAGUES 

IN  an  ordinary  compressed  yeast  cake  there  are 
billions  of  living  cells,  or  plants,  that  are  called  yeast 
Minute  plants.  These  cells  are  so  small  that  we  can 
forms  of  not  see  the  individuals  without  a  microscope, 
but  we  can  see  the  work  which  masses  of  them 
do  together.  Every  one  is  familiar  with  the  raising 
of  bread  when  yeast  is  put  into  it.  Any  one  can  show 
the  working  of  yeast  by  putting  a  few  teaspoonfuls  of 
sugar  into  a  tumbler  of  warm  water --just  warm 
enough  to  hold  the  ringer  in  —  and  then  crumbling  into 
this  a  portion  of  a  compressed  yeast  cake.  In  a  little 
while  the  yeast  cells  or  plants  will  begin  to  work,  and 
soon  gas  will  be  seen  escaping  with  the  appearance  of  a 
frothy  scum  on  the  surface.  These  changes  are  due  to 
the  activity  of  the  yeast  cells,  which  break  up  the  sugar, 
forming  alcohol  and  carbonic  gas.  It  is  this  gas  which 
we  see  rising  in  bubbles. 

Minute,  invisible  forms  of  life  exist  everywhere 
about  us.  They  are  so  small  that  they  can  nor  be  seen 
by  the  naked  eye,  but  if  they  fall  upon  a  suitable  food, 
such  as  the  cut  surface  of  a  boiled  potato  or  a  slice  of 

218 


GERM   PLAGUES  219 

moist  bread  or  cheese,  they  will  increase  in  number  so 
rapidly  that  in  a  few  days  they  will  form  spots  or 
"colonies"  which  are  easily  visible.  The  air  always 
contains  a  greater  or  smaller  number  of  these  invisible 
forms  of  life,  but,  fortunately,  they  are  usually  not 
harmful. 

Our  forefathers  from  remote  times  until  a  few  decades 
ago  lived  without  knowing  the  important  fact  that  there 
are  vast  numbers  of  plants  and  animals  so  minute  that 
one  can  see  them  only  with  the  aid  of  a  powerful  magni- 
fying glass.  But  when  the  microscope  was  perfected, 
people  began  to  understand  that  there  is  a  world  of  liv- 
ing things  of  which  many  have  never  even  dreamed. 
Some  one  has  spoken  of  this  newly  discovered  world 
as  that  of  the  "infinitely  little."  As  we  have  come  to 
know  more  about  these  microscopic  plants  and  animals, 
we  have  come  to  realize  how  important  they  are.  They 
do  much  of  our  work,  such  as  preparing  our  food,  carry- 
ing off  and  destroying  our  waste  material,  and  per- 
forming other  necessary  and  useful  tasks.  Some  of 
them  are  our  friends.  They  ripen  our  cream  for  butter- 
making,  preserve  fresh  food  for  cattle  in  silos,  purify 
sewage  by  eating  up  the  filth,  make  the  soil  fertile,  and 
do  us  many  services  of  this  nature.  Many  of  them, 
however,  are  our  enemies ;  and  the  fact  that  they  pro- 
duce diseases  of  different  sorts  is  one  reason  why  we 
have  become  so  much  interested  in  them,  and  why  we 
are  trying  to  discover  under  what  conditions  they  grow 
and  how  we  can  control  them. 


220  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

Secure  some  moldy  fruit  or  vegetable,  or  a  piece  of 
moldy  cheese,  and  allow  it  to  dry  so  that  it  can  be 
The  work  pulverized.  Then  take  some  fresh  bread  and 
of  mi-  cut  several  slices.  This  latter  work  ought  to 
be  done  in  a  separate  place  from  that  in  which 
the  moldy  food  is  handled ;  it  ought  to  be  done  by  a 
different  person  from  the  one  who  prepares  the  molds. 
Why  ?  Place  each  of  three  slices  of  the  fresh  bread  on  a 
sheet  of  blotting  paper  and,  on  two  pieces  of  the  bread, 
sprinkle  a  small  quantity  of  the  mold  dust.  Cover  one 

of  these  with  a 
glass  bowl  or 
some  other  glass 
dish.  The  third 
"unseeded" 
piece  should 
also  be  covered 

BREAD  MOLD,  GREATLY  MAGNIFIED. 

with  a  glass. 

Those  pieces  which  are  covered  should  be  kept  moist 
by  placing  water  on  the  blotter  from  time  to 
time.  Keep  track  of  developments  for  a  few  days. 
At  the  end  of  this  period  describe  what  change 
has  taken  place  on  the  uncovered  piece  of  bread. 
What  was  the  object  in  covering  the  bread  ?  Note  that 
the  molds  do  not  grow  unless  they  have  been  seeded. 
If  a. few  molds  do  grow  on  the  third  piece  of  bread,  it 
simply  means  that  the  mold  seeds  or  spores  fell  on  it 
from  the  air  before  it  was  covered. 

In  somewhat  the  same  way  that  microbes   produce 


GERM   PLAGUES  221 

decay  and  rottenness  in  bread,  fruits,  and  vegetables, 
special  sorts  of  microbes  produce  diseases  in  man  and 
animals.  You  have  already  learned  of  contagious  or 
catching  diseases.  We  know  that  a  person  who  has 
smallpox,  measles,  or  whooping  cough  is  being  attacked 
by  microbes,  and  just  as  microbes  may  pass  from  one 
apple  to  another  in  a  barrel,  so  smallpox,  measles,  and 
scarlet  fever  may  pass  from  one  person  to  another,  or 
from  the  sick  to  the  well. 

Microbes  produce  disease   in   man  and  animals  in 
different  ways.     One  class  grows  in  our  food  materials 
and  produces  poisons.     When  these  poisons  are  Microbes 
taken  into  the  stomach  with  food,  they  may  produce 
produce   sickness   or   even   death.     Some  of  disease- 
these  poisons  are  known  as  ptomaines.     Instances  of 
ptomaine  poisoning  are  frequently  noticed  in  the  news- 
papers.    The  dangers  of  ptomaine  poisoning  can  be 
avoided  by  protecting  food  materials,  especially  meats, 
from  the  growth  in  them  of  the  putrefaction  or  decay 
microbes  or  bacteria. 

Many  species  of  microbes  produce  disease  in  man 
and  animals  by  growing  in  the  body  of  their  victim. 
They  live  upon  the  tissues  and  fluids  of  the  body. 
From  this  flesh  and  blood  they  make  poisons  which 
cause  sickness  and  death.  These  microbes  are  para- 
sites. (What  is  a  parasite  ?)  Diseases  caused  in  this 
way  are  spoken  of  as  germ  diseases. 

A  particular  germ  is  often  the  cause  of  a  particular 
disease.  These  germs  are  usually  named  after  the 


222  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

diseases  they  produce,  as  the  diphtheria  germ,  the 
typhoid  germ,  or  the  tuberculosis  germ.  People  never 
have  these  diseases  unless  the  particular  germ  which 
causes  them  is  growing  in  and  poisoning  the  body. 
The  disease  germs  always  come  from  parent  germs,  or 
from  the  body  itself,  and  never  start  from  nothing,  as 
some  people  used  to  think.  These  germs  always  come 
from  some  previous  case  of  the  disease  which  they 
produce.  Certain  of  these  diseases  are  caught  by 
coming  in  contact  with  some  one  having  the  disease. 
For  this  reason  they  are  called  contagious  (touched ; 
carried).  Decay  and  rottenness  in  fruit  or  vegetables 
is  produced  in  the  same  way,  you  will  remember.  Some 
other  germ  diseases  are  carried  indirectly  from  the  sick 
to  the  healthy  ;  as,  for  example,  through  food  or  drink, 
as  milk  or  water ;  and  by  means  of  insects,  as  flies  or 
mosquitoes.  These  are  called  infectious  diseases. 
There  is  no  sharp  distinction  between  infectious  and 
contagious  diseases.  All  contagious  diseases  are  in- 
fectious, but  all  infectious  diseases  are  not  necessarily 
contagious.  Why  ?  It  should  be  mentioned  that  the 
distinction  between  contagious  and  infectious  diseases 
is  now  considered  less  important  than  formerly. 

Among  the  diseases  produced  by  microbes  none  is 
more  important  or  dreadful  than  tuberculosis.  The 
presence  of  tuberculosis  in  a  family  or  community  is 
dangerous  in  somewhat  the  same  way  that  a  rotten 
apple  in  a  basket  is  dangerous  to  all  the  good  apples. 
But  there  is  this  difference  :  it  is  practically  impossible 


GERM   PLAGUES  223 

to  make  a  rotten  apple  safe  to  put  with  the  sound  ones. 
But  in  the  case  of  tuberculosis  and  other  diseases  due 
to  microbes  or  germs,  when  intelligent  care  is  used, 
people  suffering  from  them  may  with  a  certain  degree 
of  safety  mingle  with  well  people.  But  it  must  always 
be  remembered  that  a  person  suffering  from  a  germ 
disease  is  dangerous  to  the  people  around  him  unless 
everybody  is  careful  to  prevent  the  escape  of  the  dan- 
gerous germs  from  the  diseased  person,  and  the  entrance 
of  these  germs  into  the  body  of  some  one  else. 

Until  late  years  nothing  was  known  in  regard  to  the 
cause  of  tuberculosis.     It  is  scarcely 
a  third  of  a  century  since  tubercu-  ~-^- ''•<&£'*' 

losis  was  definitely  proven  The  germ  ^^L  V 

to  be  an  infectious  disease,  of  tubercu-          "V~""    «^^  ^X 
Our   ancestors  thought  it  losis' 

was  due  entirely  to  heredity.  The  GERM  OF  TUBERCULOSIS. 
credit  of  discovering  the  germ  cause  of  tuberculosis 
belongs  to  Dr.  Robert  Koch,  of  Germany.  The  dis- 
covery was  announced  in  1882.  At  the  time  Dr.  Koch 
made  his  discovery,  scientists  were  just  becoming  ac- 
quainted with  the  various  disease  germs  of  bacteria. 
Bacteria,  as  you  have  learned,  are  forms  of  plant  life 
in  which  the  individuals  are  so  extremely  small  that 
they  are  invisible.  In  measuring  them  we  use,  as  the 
unit  of  measurement,  what  is  known  as  the  micron, 
which  is  about  ^TWO"  °f  an  incn-  Many  of  the  bac- 
teria are  only  about  one  micron  in  length  and  they  are 
rarely  more  than  a  micron  in  width.  This  means  that 


224 


MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 


250  of  such  bacteria  placed  end  to  end  would  just 
about  equal  the  thickness  of  a  piece  of  the  paper  on 
which  this  book  is  printed. 

Different  bacteria  vary  greatly  in  shape.     Some  are 

minute  glistening 
balls,  others  short 
rods,  others  long 
slender  rods,  and 
still  others  have  a 
spiral  shape.  The 
bacillus  or  germ  of 
tuberculosis  is  a 
straight,  narrow 
rod,  about  half  a 
micron  wide,  and 
five  or  six  microns 
long.  Many  kinds 
of  bacteria  can  be 
grown  artificially 
by  feeding  with 
preparations  con- 
taining meat  ex- 
tract. A  broth 
made  very  much 
like  a  beef  con- 
somme is  frequently  used.  To  this  is  often  added  gelatine 
or  agar-agar  (a  vegetable  gelatine),  and  in  these  few  sub- 
stances, or  media,  as  the  scientists  say,  most  bacteria 
grow  readily.  The  bacillus  of  tuberculosis,  however,  is  a 


DR.  ROBERT  KOCH. 


GERM   PLAGUES  225 

very  dainty  microbe,  and  it  will  not  grow  in  the  media 
named  above  unless  a  little  glycerine  is  added,  in  which 
case  it  grows  well,  but  slowly.  It  grows  very  well 
upon  the  fluid  or  watery  part  of  the  blood,  either  human 
or  animal,  which  has  been  hardened  by  heat.  Except 
when  introduced  into  such  media  as  just  mentioned 
above,  the  tubercle  bacillus  does  not  grow  outside 
of  the  animal  body.  This  is  very  fortunate  for  us, 
because,  if  it  did  increase  in  numbers  outside  of  the 
body,  the  whole  world  of  men  and  animals  would  have 
been  exterminated  long  before  this. 

Although  the  germ  of  tuberculosis  does  not  grow  and 
reproduce  outside  of  the  body,  except  on  special  "cul- 
ture media,"  still  it  does  sometimes  live  outside  the 
body  for  very  long  periods,  simply  retaining  its  vitality, 
ready  to  grow  when  the  conditions  are  right.  This 
germ  can  withstand  drying  for  months  and  even  years. 
It  may  live  in  putrefying  (rotting)  or  decaying  material 
for  a  long  time  and  in  dark,  dirty  corners  of  buildings 
for  years.  One  of  the  best  ways  of  killing  it  is  to  allow 
the  sunlight  to  reach  it.  It  will  be  killed  also  more 
quickly  in  a  dry  than  in  a  moist  place.  Hence,  the 
necessity  of  dry,  well-ventilated,  and  light  rooms. 

Nearly  every  one  has  seen  people  who  were  thin,  with 
hollow  cheeks  and  narrow  chests  and  who  had  a  dry, 
hacking  cough.  Such  people  are  sometimes  The  nature 
said  to  be  suffering  from  bronchitis ;  but  in  of  tubercu- 
most  cases,  it  sooner  or  later  appears  that  losis* 
they  have  consumption,  or  tuberculosis  of  the  lungs. 


226  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

Hunchbacks  have  deformed  spinal  columns  which  have 
been  injured  and  twisted  on  account  of  disease  of  the 
spine  bones.  This  is  one  of  the  results  of  tuberculosis. 
Hip  disease  is  common.  On  account  of  disease,  the  hip 
has  been  deformed,  and  the  hip  joint  destroyed  or 
stiffened  so  that  it  can  not  be  used.  If  we  knew  the 
history  of  these  cases,  we  should  find  that  almost  always 
this  injury  to  the  hip  joint  had  been  brought  about  by 
tuberculosis.  Diseases  of  the  bones  in  other  parts  of 
the  body  are  frequently  caused  by  tuberculosis.  Often, 
especially  in  children,  diseases  of  the  intestines,  which  are 
serious  and  difficult  to  treat,  are  caused  by  tuberculosis. 
We  have  already  noticed  that  tuberculosis  is  a  dis- 
ease caused  by  the  growth  in  the  body  of  a  germ  or 
microbe  known  as  the  Bacillus  tuberculosis.  When  the 
germ  gets  into  the  body,  it  grows  in  the  tissue,  destroy- 
ing the  cells  all  around  it.  It  also  makes  certain  other 
cells  grow,  causing  the  production  of  nodules  or  tubercles. 
These  are  shown  in  the  accompanying  illustration. 
This  formation  of  tubercles  is  peculiar  to  this  disease 
and  has  given  it  the  name  tuberculosis.  This  germ  may 
grow  in  any  part  of  the  body,  but  in  human  beings 
it  grows  most  frequently  in  the  lungs.  When  tuber- 
culosis occurs  in  the  lungs,  and  especially  after  the 
disease  has  gone  on  for  some  time,  it  is  known  as 
consumption.  In  the  United  States,  about  nine  people 
die  of  consumption  to  one  that  dies  from  some  other 
form  of  tuberculosis  ;  so  that  consumption  is  by  far  the 
most  important  form  of  this  disease. 


GERM   PLAGUES  227 

What  is  the  most  frequent  cause  of  sickness  and 
death  ?  If  you  were  to  go  to  the  health  officer  in  your 
city  or  town  and  ask  him  what  was  the  chief  The  extent 
cause  of  death  in  your  community,  he  would  of  tubercu- 
almost  certainly  reply  "Tuberculosis."  If  losis< 
your  health  officer  had  a  record  of  the  living  cases  of 
tuberculosis,  as  he  really  ought  to  have,  he  would  tell  you 
that  there  are  far  more  cases  of  tuberculosis  than  of  any 
other  disease ;  and  at  any  one  time  there  would  probably 
be  more  cases  of  tuberculosis  than  there  were  cases  of  all 
other  infectious  or  germ  diseases  together.  So  that  it  is 
fair  to  say  that  tuberculosis  is  the  greatest  plague  with 
which  the  human  race  is  afflicted,  because  of  all  diseases 
common  to  mankind,  it  is  the  most  widespread.  John 
Bunyan  very  appropriately  called  tuberculosis  the  "Cap- 
tain of  the  Men  of  Death/'  Tuberculosis  causes  more 
deaths  each  year  than  scarlet  fever,  measles,  typhoid 
fever,  diphtheria,  whooping  cough,  and  influenza  com- 
bined. Study  the  chart  and  see  how  this  fact. is  shown. 
We  think  of  the  terrible  loss  of  life  due  to  war,  but 
tuberculosis  kills  many  more  people  than  war  ever  has 
done  ;  and  it  always  keeps  on  with  its  work.  It  never 
grants  a  truce.  The  entire  loss  of  life  in  the  Franco- 
Prussian  war  was  only  about  one  half  the  loss  from 
tuberculosis  in  Prussia  alone  for  a  single  year.  The 
loss  of  life  in  our  country,  due  to  tuberculosis,  in  any 
four  years  is  more  than  half  a  million  persons,  or  about 
three  times  the  loss  of  men  during  the  four  years  of  the 
Civil  War. 


228  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

In  the  nineteenth  century  there  were  many  terrible 
wars,  and  it  is  estimated  that  fourteen  million  soldiers 
died  on  the  battle  field.  But  while  these  wars  were  go- 
ing on,  thirty  million  people  in  the  very  same  countries 
died  of  tuberculosis.  The  number  of  deaths  in  the  San 
Francisco  earthquake  was  only  a  little  over  one  half 
of  the  loss  of  life  every  year  in  San  Francisco  from 
tuberculosis.  The  great  earthquake  in  southern  Italy 
destroyed  many  less  people  than  die  each  year  of 
this  disease  in  the  United  States.  In  the  United 
States,  from  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  to  two 
hundred  thousand  die  every  year,  and,  in  the  world, 
a  million  and  a  half.  The  terrible  price  we  have  to 
pay  for  the  neglect  of  this  disease  is  impressed  upon  us 
if  we  realize  the  fact  that  of  the  ninety  million  people 
now  living  in  the  United  States  over  nine  million  of 
them  will  die  from  tuberculosis,  unless  conditions  are 
improved  ;  and  of  these  nine  million,  two  hundred  and 
fifty  thousand  will  be  in  the  state  of  Wisconsin. 

The  waste  in  dollars  and  cents  caused  by  the  disease 
has  been  estimated  by  a  number  of  people,  and  accord- 
ing to  Professor  Fisher  we  lose  in  the  United  States 
each  year  one  billion  one  hundred  million  dollars 
($1,100,000,000)  as  a  result  of  the  disease  in  .human 
beings ;  and  fourteen  million  ($14,000,000)  more  as  a 
result  of  the  disease  in  cattle.  This  loss  far  exceeds 
the  value  of  any  crop  in  the  United  States.  In  fact, 
if  we  should  lose  one  entire  corn  crop,  and  also  the 
cotton  crop,  but  could  save  one  year's  loss  from  tuber- 


GERM   PLAGUES  229 

culosis,  we  should,  as  a  nation,  be  better  off  than  we 
now  are.  The  loss  of  the  dairy  products,  the  wheat, 
the  forest  products,  the  rice,  and  the  small-fruit  crops 
of  a  year  would  scarcely  exceed  in  value  the  present 
loss  from  tuberculosis.  Besides  these  enormous  money 
losses,  the  human  race  has  suffered  untold  miseries  from 
tuberculosis.  It  has  caused  poverty  and  suffering  be- 
yond anything  that  can  be  measured.  Tuberculosis 
has  helped  to  fill  our  insane  hospitals  and  orphan 
asylums,  our  homes  and  hospitals  for  crippled  children, 
our  reformatories,  and  even  our  prisons  and  peniten- 
tiaries. It  has  deprived  us  at  an  early  age  of  many  of 
the  most  brilliant  men  and  women  in  all  periods  of  the 
world's  progress. 

Justice  Charles  E.  Hughes,  United  States  Supreme 
Court,  has  said  : 

"If  we  had  through  the  misfortunes  of  war,  or  the 
sudden  rise  of  pestilence,  or  through  some  awful 
calamity,  the  destruction  of  life  that  annually  takes 
place  on  account  of  the  spread  of  the  white  plague,  we 
should  be  appalled.  Mass  meetings  would  be  held  in 
every  community  and  demand  would  be  made  that  the 
most  urgent  measures  should  be  adopted.  It  is  only 
because  we  are  accustomed  to  this  waste  of  life  that  we 
can  look  calmly  on  and  go  about  our  business,  paying 
no  attention  to  this  enormous  death  toll,  which  our 
American  people  are  paying." 

In  a  preceding  chapter  it  was  shown  that  the  sputum 
of  persons  suffering  from  tuberculosis  of  the  lungs 


23o  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

may,  and  often  does,  contain  the  bacilli  or  germs  of 
tuberculosis.  These  germs  may  be  carried  from  one 
The  spread  place  to  another  through  the  sputum.  In  the 
of  tubercu-  case  of  persons  suffering  from  consumption, 
the  germs  leave  the  body  almost  entirely  in 
the  sputum.  In  the  case  of  animals  suffering  from 
the  disease,  the  meat  and  milk  may  contain  the  bacilli, 
and  hence  be  the  means  of  spreading  the  disease.  In 
the  case  of  both  man  and  animals,  pus,  or  the  matter 
coming  from  the  tubercular  sores,  may  serve  as  a 
means  of  scattering  the  germs.  It  is  generally  believed 
that  tuberculosis  is  very  largely  passed  on  from  one 
person  to  another  by  means  of  the  sputum.  If  this 
material  is  not  destroyed,  it  dries,  becomes  pulverized, 
is  then  blown  about,  and  may  enter  a  well  person  with 
the  air  that  is  breathed.  It  is  estimated  that  the 
sputum  given  off  in  twenty-four  hours  by  a  person  in  the 
last  stages  of  the  disease  may  contain  as  many  as  seven 
billion  tubercle  bacilli.  Considering  the  number  of 
careless  consumptives,  it  is  no  wonder  that  the  air  in 
certain  buildings,  or  localities,  frequented  by  consump- 
tives, is  loaded  with  germs. 

When  one  talks,  but  especially  when  one  speaks 
forcibly,  coughs  or  sneezes,  there  is  driven  out  from  the 
mouth  a  fine  spray  made  up  of  tiny  drops  of  finely  di- 
vided sputum.  These  droplets  contain,  in  the  case  of 
consumptives,  the  germs  of  tuberculosis ;  and  if  these 
are  breathed  in  by  a  person  inclined  toward  the  disease, 
they  may  take  their  abode  in  him  and  grow  vigorously. 


GERM   PLAGUES 


231 


However,  the  danger  of  this  is  really  great  only  when 
one  remains  very  near  a  tuberculosis  patient  for  a  con- 
siderable length  of  time.  At  a  distance  of  three  or  four 
feet  there  is  likely  to  be  but  little  danger  of  infection. 
From  a  consumptive,  these  little  drops  of  sputum  are 
constantly  falling  on  the  floor  and  the  furniture  and 


A    HEALTHY    HERD    OF    DAIRY    CATTLE. 

even  on  food,  and  it  is  important  that  this  source  of 
danger  should  be  avoided.  In  the  case  of  tuberculous 
ulcers,  abscesses,  and  such  diseases,  the  discharge 
contains  the  germ  and  must  be  carefully  handled  to 
prevent  the  spread  of  the  disease. 

Cows,   even  when   they  have  tuberculosis,   do  not 
usually  cough ;    hence  there  is  little  danger  from  their 


232  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

sputum.  But  the  milk  contains  the  tubercle  germs, 
not  only  when  the  udder  is  affected,  as  claimed  a  few 
years  ago,  but  also  when  the  infection  exists  in  other 
parts  of  the  body.  The  United  States  Department  of 
Agriculture  has  recently  found  that  milk  may  become 
infected  with  tubercle  germs  through  particles  of  manure 
falling  into  it. 

In  cattle  the  disease  is  most  often  located  in  the 
internal  organs  and  not  in  the  muscles ;  hence  the 
danger  of  infection  by  eating  meat  from  infected  animals 
is  not  so  great  as  it  otherwise  might  be.  Nevertheless, 
it  has  been  shown  that  the  germs  are  often  present  in  the 
meat  of  cattle  which  have  had  tuberculosis,  and  were  it 
not  for  the  fact  that  meat  is  usually  cooked  before  it  is 
eaten,  thus  killing  the  germs,  it  would  be  an  exceed- 
ingly active  source  of  tuberculous  infection.  As  it  is, 
it  is  estimated  that  fully  ten  per  cent  of  all  cases  of 
tuberculosis  are  contracted  from  tuberculous  meat  or 
milk. 

As  we  have  seen,  tuberculosis  is  not  inherited  ;  but, 
in  almost  all  cases,  it  is  taken  by  a  susceptible  person 
Killing  the  coming  into  contact  with  some  one  having  the 
gennsoftu-  disease.  We  need  to  repeat  for  emphasis  that, 
bercuiosis.  jf  we  are  tQ  prevent  t]ie  Spread  of  the  disease, 

we  need  to  see  that  those  who  have  it  take  proper  care 
of  themselves,  so  that  the  germs  which  they  are  giving 
off  do  not  make  their  way  to  some  one  else.  When  one 
is  suffering  from  consumption,  as  you  have  already 
learned,  the  germs  are  given  off  in  the  sputum  in  enor- 


GERM   PLAGUES  233 

mous  numbers,  and  the  important  thing  to  do  is  to 
prevent  this  sputum  from  drying.  A  consumptive 
should  never  spit  on  the  floor  (in  fact,  no  one  ever 
should)  or  any  place  where  the  sputum  will  become  dry. 
A  handkerchief  is  perhaps  the  worst  thing  that  a  person 
could  use.  It  is  best  to  have  either  a  spittoon,  contain- 
ing some  chemical  substance  that  will  destroy  the  bac- 
teria, or,  what  is  better,  to  have  little  paper  cups  or 
napkins,  which  when  they  have  been  used,  can  be  burned. 
//  we  could  kill  all  the  germs  in  the  sputum  of  those  suffering 
from  tuberculosis,  the  disease  would  rapidly  diminish  and 
perhaps  in  time  disappear  from  the  world. 

It  is  possible  for  the  germs  of  tuberculosis  to  be 
transmitted  from  cows  to  human  beings,  particularly 
children,  through  milk.  In  order  not  to  get  disease  by 
drinking  milk,  it  is  necessary  that  all  the  milk  sold  on 
the  market  or  used  in  the  home  should  be  from  cattle 
known  to  be  free  from  tuberculosis.  Fortunately,  it  is 
possible  readily  to  test  cattle  for  tuberculosis  by  means 
of  what  is  known  as  the  "tuberculin  test."  This  test 
does  not  cost  much,  is  easily  used,  and  is  very  accurate. 
Farmers  are  finding  that  it  pays  to  have  all  their 
cattle  tested,  because  tuberculosis  in  cattle  is  as  "catch- 
ing" among  cattle  as  it  is  among  men,  and  perhaps 
more  so.  If  the  disease  once  gets  into  a  herd,  it  will  be 
sure  to  spread  unless  it  is  promptly  checked. 

Flies  help  to  spread  this  disease.  No  one  knows  the 
proportion  of  cases  that  they  cause,  but  it  is  very  im- 
portant that  flies  should  be  kept  away  from  food. 


234 


MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 


This  ought  to  be  done  by  trying  first  of  all  to  limit  the 
number  of  flies  produced.  This  can  be  done  by  caring 
for  manure,  garbage,  and  things  of  this  nature,  in  such 
a  way  that  the  flies  can  not  breed  in  these  materials. 
Secondly,  we  should  screen  our  houses  and  keep  flies 


Courtesy  of  Committee  for  Prevention  of  Tuberculosis. 

OPEN-AIR  CITY  CAMP  FOR  CONSUMPTIVES. 

out  of  the  kitchen  and  the  dining  room,  particularly. 
In  addition  to  this,  we  should  take  especial  care  to 
protect  all  food  from  flies  by  screening  shelves  or 
other  places  where  food  is  stored.  Flies  carry  on  their 
feet  the  tuberculous  germs  from  sputum  on  the  street, 
or  in  the  gutter,  or  elsewhere.  As  they  walk  over  the 


GERM   PLAGUES 


23S 


food  they  leave  these  germs,  sometimes  in  very  large 
numbers,  and  the  disease  is  thus  spread.  They  also 
carry  typhoid  fever  germs  and  spread  them.  The  com- 
mon house  fly  is  now  sometimes  called  the  "typhoid 
fly." 

One  very  rarely  gets  tuberculosis  out  of  doors,  but 
almost  always 
in  the  house,  or 
in  the  work- 
shop. Hence, 
it  is  of  the  very 
greatest  im- 
portance to 
have  houses 
and  workshops 
most  carefully 
disinfected 
when  people 
having  con- 

onrYir^-t-J/^t-*      TV  a.  Courtesy  of  Committee  for  Prevention  of  Tuberculosis. 

o  UIIlp  I  lOIl      d.lC 

j  CURING   CONSUMPTION   IN  THE  CITY.     PATIENT  LIVING 

present,  ana  es-  ON  THE  Roor 

pecially    when 

they  leave.  Where  people  having  consumption  occupy 
buildings  and  are  careless,  these  buildings  become  real 
tuberculosis  nests,  or  breeding  places.  It  is  a  matter 
of  extreme  importance,  therefore,  when  one  moves  into 
a  house  which  other  people  have  lived  in,  to  find  out 
whether  the  disease  existed  there,  and  if  it  did  to  have 
the  house  properly  disinfected  before  going  into  it. 


236  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF   LIFE 

This  is  a  matter  which  must  never  be  overlooked,  and 
no  one  having  a  family  in  his  or  her  care  should  move 
into  an  infected  house  until  it  has  been  properly  pre- 
pared, by  being  most  thoroughly  cleaned  and  disinfected. 
A  very  important  part  of  the  work  of  prevention  of 
tuberculosis  is  the  development  and  maintenance  of  the 
normal  or  natural  vigor  of  the  body,  or  the 
means  of  conservation  of  health  tone.  The  person  who 
preventing  is  in  ill  health,  or  in  a  state  of  low  vitality  for 
tubercuio-  wnaj-ever  cause  is  much  more  liable  to  be 

SIS. 

attacked  by  tuberculosis,  as  well  as  by  other 
diseases,  than  is  a  person  in  good  health  and  vigor. 
Among  the  things  which  may  be  considered  as  help- 
ing to  cause  tuberculosis  are  certain  kinds  of  work,  over- 
crowding in  homes,  schools,  and  workshops,  because  of 
poor  ventilation,  unhealthful  conditions,  dust,  and  bad 
housing,  for  these  lower  the  health  tone. 

The  comparative  frequency  of  tuberculosis  among 
people  of  different  occupations  has  been  studied.  Per- 
sons who  work  indoors  head  the  list,  while  farmers  and 
other  outdoor  workers  are  lowest  in  the  list.  Where  one 
is  free  to  choose  his  own  work,  it  is  worth  while,  before 
he  makes  a  selection,  to  consider  the  relative  healthful- 
ness  of  various  occupations.  It  seems  probable  that 
many  kinds  of  work  can  be  made  less  dangerous  than 
they  are  now.  The  chief  reason  why  it  has  not  been 
done  in  the  past  is  because  the  importance  of  preventing 
disease  has  not  been  realized.  .  The  young  people  who 
are  growing  up  should  and  will  undoubtedly  do  much  in 


GERM  PLAGUES 


237 


this  direction.  It  is  not  merely  a  question  of  indoor 
and  outdoor  occupation,  for  some  of  the  outdoor  oc- 
cupations have  a  marked  influence  in  producing  con- 
sumption. Statistics  show  that  the  percentage  of 
tuberculosis  among  quarrymen  is  higher  than  it  is 
among  many  indoor  workers.  Why  ? 

Overcrowding  in  houses  helps  to  make  people  more 
likely  to  have 
diseases,  espe- 
cially tubercu- 
losis. If  we 
should  count 
up  the  number 
of  people  who 
live  in  one- 
room  apart- 
"ments,  com- 
pared with  the 
number  who 
live  in  apart- 
ments of  two, 

three,  four,  or  more  rooms,  we  should  find  that 
there  are  not  so  very  many ;  but  if  we  should  com- 
pare the  amount  of  sickness  and  death  among  those 
in  the  single-room  apartments  with  the  amount  among 
those  who  have  more  room,  we  should  find  that 
the  percentage  of  sickness  and  death  would  be  very 
much  greater ;  and  any  one  who  is  obliged  to  live 
in  crowded  quarters,  in  either  the  home  or  the  work- 


TUBERCULOSIS     GERMS     LIKE     BACK   YARDS    AS    FILTHY    AS 
THIS    ONE. 


238  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

shop,  is  taking  a  much  greater  risk  of  contracting  disease 
than  the  people  who  have  more  space.  Sometimes 
people  who  could  have  plenty  of  room,  if  they  wished, 
coop  themselves  up  in  cramped  quarters  for  the  sake 
of  convenience,  or  to  keep  warm.  If  they  would  use 
a  larger  space,  exercise  more,  and  if  necessary,  spend 
a  little  more  money  on  fuel,  they  would  be  better  off. 

The  lack  of  fresh,  pure  air  in  the  house  or  the  work- 
room or  the  schoolroom  keeps  people  in  a  state  of  vital 
depression  so  that  they  are  inferior  workers  and  are 
likely  to  take  diseases.  Far  too  many  buildings  are 
without  good  light  and  proper  means  of  ventilation. 
In  olden  times,  methods  of  constructing  houses  were 
much  inferior  to  the  present,  and  on  this  account 
buildings  were  far  less  tight  than  they  are  to-day.  And 
then,  too,  the  method  of  heating  was  at  one  time  entirely 
by  means  of  open  fireplaces.  Under  these  conditions/ 
special  means  of  ventilation  were  not  needed  as  they 
are  at  the  present  time,  with  air-tight  buildings  and  our 
steam  and  hot-water  plants. 

All  buildings  where  a  number  of  people  are  working 
should  be  provided  with  a  special  means  for  bringing  in 
pure  air.  The  constant  change  of  air  in  an  ordinary  liv- 
ing room,  called  ventilation,  may  take  place  by  natural 
means,  but  in  larger  rooms  and  buildings,  where  there 
are  a  good  many  people,  mechanical  means  should  be 
employed  to  change  the  air  forcibly.  This  can  be  done 
by  the  use  of  fans  which  drive  pure  air  into,  or  which 
draw  the  impure  air  out  of,  the  room.  In  some  build- 


GERM   PLAGUES 


239 


ings  both  systems,  forcing  in  and  drawing  out,  are  used. 
Public  buildings,  such  as  factories,  workshops,  stores, 
and  schoolhouses,  as  well  as  private  homes,  should  in 
these  days  be 
built  around  a 
good  ventilat- 
ing system,  as 
they  were  for- 
me r ly  built 
around  a  chim- 
ney. In  case 
buildings  must 
be  used  with- 
out special 
means  of  venti- 
lation, a  great 
deal  may  be 
done  by  bring- 
ing pure  air  in 
constantly 
through  the 
window  and 
other  openings. 
In  order  to 
secure  a  con- 
stant supply  of 
fresh  air,  it  is  necessary  to  train  the  sense  of  smell  so  that 
it  will  detect  impure  air.  We  are  likely  to  grow  care- 
less in  regard  to  this ;  but  any  one  who  understands 


Courtesy  of  National  Cash  Register  Co. 
NOTICE    THE    VENTILATION    IN   THIS    FACTORY    BUILDING. 


240 


MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 


the  importance  of  pure  air  may  after  a  while  become 
so  sensitive  to  bad  air  that  he  will  be  uncomfortable 
in  it.  Some  people  think  of  such  a  person  as  a 
"crank,"  but  in  reality  he  is  very  wise,  and  we  ought 
to  follow  his  example  and  demand  pure  air  for  our 

lungs,  as  we  now  de- 
mand pure  food  for  our 
stomachs,  and  clean 
clothes  for  our  bodies. 

Our  houses  are  too 
frequently  in  an  un- 
healthful  condition,  due 
to  lack  of  proper  clean- 
ing. This  sometimes 
occurs  because  people 
who  have  charge  of  a 
home  have  not  been 
brought  up  to  appreciate 
that  cleanliness  is  next 
to  godliness,  and  im- 
mensely important.  But 
it  is  probable  that  such 
persons  are  compara- 
tively few.  Most  people  would  like  to  keep  their  houses 
clean,  but  on  account  of  conditions  beyond  their  control, 
many  have  scarcely  the  time  or  strength  for  it.  We  can 
overcome  these  difficulties  only  by  helping  to  change  the 
social  conditions  for  such  people  ;  and  we  can  do  a  great 
deal  more  than  might  at  first  be  thought  possible. 


ONE  SHOULD  NEVER  SWEEP  WITHOUT  BE- 
ING SURE  THAT  THE  DUST  WILL  NOT 
RISE  INTO  THE  AIR. 


GERM  PLAGUES 


241 


Our  ways  of  cleaning  are  not  all  so  good  as  they 
might  be.  For  instance,  in  sweeping  with  a  dry  broom, 
we  stir  up  a  good  deal  of  dirt  from  its  hiding  places ; 
much  of  this  dirt  merely  gets  into  the  air  in  the  right 
form  to  breathe.  It  is  perhaps  true  to  say  that  dry 
sweeping,  instead  of  making  a  place  more  healthful, 


THE    BEST   METHOD   OF    CLEANING    IS    WITH   A   VACUUM    CLEANER. 


really  makes  it  more  dangerous.  The  same  thing  is 
true  in  regard  to  methods  of  dry  dusting.  The  feather 
duster,  or  the  dry  dust  cloth  which  is  shaken  in  the 
room,  is  a  very  good  way  of  getting  dust  into  the  air 
and  of  not  getting  rid  of  it  properly. 

The  -best  way  to  clean  is  with  a  good  vacuum  cleaner. 
By  means  of  this  all  the  dirt  is  taken  out  of  the  house 


242  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

without  stirring  up  dust.  There  are,  however,  some 
inferior  cleaners  which  throw  the  dirt  back  into  the 
room,  and  these,  like  the  broom,  must  be  considered 
as  enemies  of  health.  Where  vacuum  cleaners  are  not 
possible,  a  carpet  sweeper  may  be  used,  or  something 
may  be  put  on  the  floor,  such  as  wet  strips  of  paper, 
tea  leaves,  or  some  of  the  prepared  dust-layers.  For 
dusting,  special  cloths  may  be  bought  or  prepared 
which  hold  the  dirt,  or  a  damp  cloth  may  be  used. 

Many  houses  are  built  over  damp  and  dark  cellars. 
This  is  very  wrong.  There  is  no  excuse  for  a  dirty 
cellar.  Sometimes  cellars  and  halls  in  apartment 
houses  are  not  properly  cleaned,  because  no  one  person 
has  complete  control  of  them.  They  are  neglected 
on  the  principle  of  "Every  one's  business  is  nobody's 
business." 

Damp  cellars  are  very  generally  known  to  be  un- 
healthful.  Few  landlords  would  be  willing  to  live 
over  damp  cellars  themselves,  and  no  landlord  ought 
to  be  permitted  to  allow  his  tenants  to  live  in  such  sur- 
roundings. In  these  days  when  cement  is  so  cheap  and 
so  generally  used,  there  seems  no  excuse  for  it. 

The  cellar  must  be  ventilated  and  lighted.  Many 
germs  grow  best  in  dark  damp  places.  The  perishable 
things  which  are  usually  placed  in  a  cellar  furnish  good 
food  for  germs  and  encourage  their  growth  if  not  prop- 
erly cared  for.  From  many  a  dark  damp  hole,  under 
the  house  ascends  a  pestilential  flood  of  germs  con- 
tinually through  cracks  in  the  floor,  and  whenever  the 


GERM   PLAGUES 


243 


cellar  door  is  opened.  The  air  of  the  cellar  should  be 
kept  as  clean  and  sweet  as  that  of  any  other  part  of 
the  house.  Air  and  light  hinder  the  growth  of  con- 
tamination molds  and  germs.  Frequent  whitewashing 
and  occasional  disinfection  are  excellent  means  of  keep- 
ing a  vegetable  cellar  free  from  air-polluting  germs, 
besides  cut- 
ting off  the 
vermin  likely 
to  grow  and 
hide  in  such 
places. 

Sometimes 
houses  are 
well  kept  in- 
side, but  have 
dirty  and  un- 
sanitary back 
yards.  The 
back  yard 
ought  to  be  as 
clean  as  the  front  yard,  and  some  means  of  taking  care 
of  the  necessary  refuse  about  any  building  should 
be  provided.  The  plan  of  hanging  bags  so  that  they 
can  be  readly  filled  with  old  paper  and  tin  cans  is 
excellent. 

Garbage  should  also  be  carefully  taken  care  of.  In 
the  city,  where  it  is  collected,  it  is  important  to  have 
for  it  cans  or  boxes  properly  protected  from  flies. 


IT  IS,  IMPORTANT  TO  HAVE  ALL  GARBAGE  CAREFULLY  AND 
REGULARLY  REMOVED  AND  BURIED  OR  TREATED  SO  AS 
TO  DESTROY  GERMS. 


244  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

Where  the  garbage  must  be  cared  for  on  the  place,  this 
can  be  done  by  burying  it  or  burning  it. 

Another  thing  that  should  be  especially  attended  to 
about  the  house,  or  any  building  occupied  by  people, 
and  especially  the  schoolhouse,  is  the  plumbing.  De- 
fective plumbing  allows  the  escape  of  gases  and  odors 
into  the  house,  and  these  are  known  to  be  active  means 
of  lowering  the  health  tone. 

Dust,  either  inside  or  outside  of  the  house  or  school 
building,  when  breathed  into  the  lungs,  is  harmful. 
It  undoubtedly  is  the  cause  of  disease,  and  especially 
of  diseases  of  the  lungs,  such  as  consumption.  Some 
kinds  of  dust  are  much  more  irritating,  and  so  harmful, 
than  others.  Metallic  dust,  especially  when  the  par- 
ticles have  sharp,  cutting  edges,  is  likely  to  be  very 
injurious  ;  the  dust  caused  in  making  knives  and  forks, 
and  so  on,  is  very  bad  for  the  health.  Other  dusts  are 
not  so  bad,  but  they  may  cause  serious  changes  in  the 
lungs.  Hard  dust,  such  as  that  produced  by  working 
on  stone,  is  likely  to  be  harmful.  Coal  dust  acts  in  the 
same  way.  When  these  little  particles  of  dust  are 
breathed  in,  they  make  their  way  from  the  air  cells  to 
certain  parts  of  the  lungs,  where  they  gather  in  large 
numbers.  They  are  carried  to  these  tissues  by  the 
white  blood  corpuscles.  The  effect  of  the  gathering  of 
these  particles  in  the  lungs  is  the  most  easily  seen  where 
coal  dust  is  breathed  in  ;  and  if  it  were  possible  for  us 
to  see  the  lungs  of  those  who  handle  coal,  and  those  who 
live  in  big  cities,  especially  where  a  great  deal  of  soft 


GERM   PLAGUES 


245 


coal  is  burned,  we  should  notice  that  parts  of  the  lungs 
were  coal  black  in  color,  and  in  this  respect  would  be 
very  different  from  the  lungs  of  a  person  who  had  always 
lived  in  the  free,  open  country.  The  bad  effects  of  the 
constant  breathing  of  dust-laden  air  are  easily  shown 
when  the  death  rate  from  consumption  in  different 
occupations  is 
studied. 

The  light- 
ing of  a  house 
is  a  matter  of 
no  small  im- 
portance. 
Houses  ought 
to  be  so  ar- 
ranged that 
the  sunlight 

Will         enter          THERE     IS     PLENTY    OF     LIGHT    AND     FRESH     AIR     IN     THIS 

through     at 

least  one  window,  in  every  room,  during  the  course 
of  the  day.  Those  rooms  that  are  the  most  used 
should  be  the  best  lighted.  It  is  important,  then, 
to  build  houses  with  reference  to  the  lighting.  It 
is  not  at  all  necessary  that  a  house  should  face 
the  street,  or  even  that  it  should  be  built  facing  a 
beautiful  outlook.  Houses  ought  always  to  be  built 
with  reference  to  the  sunlight.  The  size  and  arrange- 
ment of  the  windows  should  depend  upon  what  is  the 
most  healthful  and  not  upon  what  looks  best,  although 


246  MAKING  THE   MOST  OF  LIFE 

it  is  perfectly  true  that  houses  can  be  made  Suitable  to 
live  in,  and  at  the  same  time  beautiful  to  look  upon. 
The  amount  of  window  space  in  a  room  should  be  at  least 
one  fifth  of  the  floor  space. 

The  necessity  for  light  in  buildings  was  realized  long 
before  the  real  reason  was  discovered.  There  is  an 
Italian  proverb  that  says,  "Where  the  sunlight  does  not 
enter,  the  physician  does."  One  reason,  at  least,  why 
this  is  true,  is  that  the  sunlight  kills  the  disease  germs. 
Sunlight  is,  as  we  say,  a  good  germicide  or  germ- 
killer.  In  building  a  house,  the  first  thing  to  be  thought 
of  should  be  the  effect  which  the  location  and  arrange- 
ment would  have  upon  the  health  of  those  who  are  to 
live  in  it.  It  is  not  enough,  however,  to  have  properly 
constructed  buildings.  They  must  be  sensibly  used. 
Windows  are  of  little  use  if  the  shades  are  always  drawn, 
or  the  blinds  always  closed.  A  large  bedroom  or  living- 
room  may  easily  be  overcrowded.  Sometimes  people 
who  have  all  the  room  they  need,  live  in  a  little  ill- 
smelling  kitchen  in  the  daytime,  and  a  stuffy,  foul  bed- 
room at  night.  These  people,  of  course,  do  not  realize 
how  bad  such  a  life  is  for  themselves  and  their  children. 
Warmth  is  of  course  necessary,  but  warmth  with  over- 
crowding and  lack  of  pure,  fresh  air  and  sunshine  may 
lead  to  disease  and  early  death,  while  pure  air  and  sun- 
shine, even  with  some  discomfort  from  cold,  build  up 
the  resistance  of  the  body,  and  promote  vigor,  freedom 
from  disease,  and  long  life.  There  are  many  things 
worse  for  health  than  being  cold  —  for  instance,  being 


GERM   PLAGUES 


247 


overcrowded,  and  having  too  little  pure,  fresh  air,  and 
bright,  life-giving  sunshine. 

It  is  sometimes  supposed  that  these  ills  which  we  have 
been  talking  about  are  found  only  in  the  city,  but 
this  is  not  true.  Housing  conditions  are  often  as  bad 
in  the  country 
as  they  are  in 
the  city.  It 
is  true  that 
in  the  country 
there  is  plenty 
of  pure  air 
and  bright 
sunshine,  and 
frequently  the 
houses  are 
large  enough, 
but  the  people 
are  likely  to  be 

Courtesy  of  Committee  for  Prevention  of  Consumption. 

1  a  1  n   EVERY  ONE  SHOULD  BE  REGULARLY  EXAMINED  FOR  TU- 

TOOmS,     aS    the  BERCULOSIS,   AS    A     PRECAUTION    TO    HIMSELF   AND    FOR 

kitchen    and       OTHERS* 

sleeping  rooms,  for  short  periods  of  time  in  the 
summer,  and  long  periods  in  winter.  The  desire  to 
save  money  has  led  people  to  be  careless  about  health- 
ful conditions ;  and  small  rooms  are  frequently  built 
and  used  because  they  do  not  require  much  fuel  for 
heating.  This  is  a  poor  way  of  saving,  as  people 


248  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

would  readily  understand  if  they  stopped  to  think 
of  the  matter.  The  cost  of  a  doctor's  bill  and  perhaps 
a  funeral  may  easily  more  than  offset  the  "saving"  in 
fuel  and  sufficient  room. 

HEALTH  PROBLEMS 

1.  Try  to  make  an  experiment  which  will  show  there  are  living 
things  so  small  that  we  can  not  see  the  individuals  but  we  can  see 
the  results  of  their  growth. 

2.  When  people  can  cherries,  pears,  and  other  fruits  why  do 
they  try  to  make  the  cans  air-tight  ? 

3.  Take  a  good,  sound  apple,  and  place  it  so  that  it  touches  a 
rotten  one.     Then  take  another  sound  one,  wrap  it  in  waxed 
paper,  and  place  it  so  that  it  touches  the  rotten  one.     Observe 
what  happens  to  the  sound  apples  after  a  few  days.     Explain. 

4.  What  is  meant  by  a  contagious  disease  ?     Does  a  well  person 
have  actually  to  touch  a  sick  person  in  order  to  take  his  disease  ? 
Explain. 

5.  What  is  meant  by  a  preventable  disease  ?     Mention  ways  of 
preventing  such  diseases. 

6.  If  you  can  do  so,  expose  a  gelatine  or  agar  plate  to  the  air 
for  a  few  minutes.     Then  cover  it  up,  and  leave  it  in  a  warm  place 
for  a  few  days.     Describe  and  explain  what  you  find  on  it. 

7.  What  is  the  meaning  of  a  "culture"  of  a  germ,  as  of  tuber- 
culosis ? 

8.  Does  your  town  or  city  have  an  "anti-spitting"  law?     If 
so,  what  are  the  provisions  of  the  law  ?     Is  it  right  to  have  such  a 
law?    Why? 

9.  Does  your  town  or  city  have  a  milk  ordinance  ?     If  so,  what 
are  its  provisions  ?     Why  was  the  law  made  ? 

10.  Write  a  theme  on  this  topic  :  "Ways  and  Means  of  Reduc- 
ing Tuberculosis  in  this  Community." 


GERM   PLAGUES  249 

REVIEW  QUESTIONS 

1.  What  are  cells?     Describe  them. 

2.  What    useful    things    do    some    microbes    perform  ?     What 
harm  do  some  of  them  do  ? 

3.  What  causes  the  raising  of  bread  ?     What  causes  mold  on 
bread,  vegetables,  and  similar  things  ? 

4.  InA  what  two  ways  do  microbes  produce  disease  ?     Explain 
what  is  meant  by  ptomaine  poisoning. 

5.  What  is  an  infectious  disease?     A  contagious  disease? 

6.  Is  tuberculosis  an  infectious  or  a  contagious  disease  ? 

7.  What  causes  tuberculosis  ?     Why  did  our  forefathers  think 
it  was  a  hereditary  disease  ? 

8.  Tell    about  the   tuberculosis    bacillus.     What   is    the    best 
way  to  kill  it  ? 

9.  Describe  a  person  you  have  seen  who  had  consumption. 

10.  What  often  causes  a  back  to  hunch  ?     A  hip  to  become 
diseased  ? 

11.  What  disease  causes  more  deaths  than  any  other  in  the 
world  ? 

12.  Explain  how  people  ill  with  consumption  may  give  the 
disease  to  others. 

13.  Tell  just  how  a  consumptive  should  take  care  of  himself 
so  as  to  prevent  the  spread  of  the  disease. 

14.  How  may  cows  be  the  cause  of  tuberculosis  among  people  ? 
Is  the  meat  of  these  cows  dangerous  ?     The  milk  ? 

15.  What  part  do  flies  have  in   the  spread  of  tuberculosis? 
How  may  this  be  prevented  ? 

16.  How  may  one  develop  and  preserve  the  "health  tone"  of 
the  body,  so  that  he  will  not  be  liable  to  get  tuberculosis  ? 

17.  What  occupations  are  likely  to  incline  a  person  toward  the 
disease  ?     Why  ?     What  occupations  are  healthful  ? 

1 8.  Explain  how  overcrowding  may   assist  in  the  spread   of 
tuberculosis. 


250  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

19.  What  effect  has  dust  in  the  spread  of  tuberculosis  ? 

20.  Tell  how  a  house  should  be  built,  lighted,  and  cleaned  so 
that  the  occupants  will  be  able  to  preserve  their  "health  tone/' 

21.  What  is  said  about  the  effect  of  dirty  cellars  on  the  health 
of  the  occupants  of  a  house  ? 

22.  How  may  defective  plumbing  be  the  cause  of  lowering 
the  "health  tone"  ? 

23.  Tell  what  you  think  are  the  best  ways  of  preventing  the 
spread  of  tuberculosis  in  a  community. 


CHAPTER  XIV 
LIVING  LONG  AND  WELL 

IN  the  sixteenth  century  the  average  length  of  human 
life  was  between  eighteen  and  twenty  years.  At  the 
close  of  the  eighteenth  century  it  was  a  little  more  than 
thirty  years.  To-day  it  is  about  forty-five  years.  The 
average  length  of  life  has,  then,  more  than  doubled  in 
the  last  three  hundred  and  fifty  years. 

What  has  caused  this  great  increase  in  the  average 
length  of  life  ?  Is  it  because  men  now  live  to  a  greater 
age  than  in  the  past  ?  On  the  contrary,  there  are  few 
examples  of  longevity  in  the  last  two  or  three  hundred 
years  that  can  at  all  compare  with  those  of  former 
centuries. 

One  thing  that  will  help  us  to  find  the  cause  is  the 
fact  that  the  average  length  of  life  is  different  in  differ- 
ent countries.  In  India  it  is  only  twenty-five,  while  in 
Germany  it  is .  forty-three,  and  in  Sweden  forty-five. 
In  Germany  and  Sweden  great  attention  is  given  to 
hygiene  ;  the  health  of  the  people  is  safeguarded  on  all 
sides  by  health  boards  and  sanitary  regulations.  In 
India,  on  the  contrary,  among  the  masses  of  the  people, 
there  is  no  attention  whatever  given  to  hygiene  or 

251 


252  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

sanitation.  We  find  that  the  increased  average  length 
of  life  in  various  parts  of  the  world  exactly  corresponds 
to  the  attention  given  to  hygiene. 

It  is,  of  course,  easily  understood  that  the  average 
length  of  life  depends  upon  the  death  rate.  Where  the 
^  .  death  rate  is  high,  the  average  length  of  life 
tary  science  is  shorter  than  where  the  death  rate  is  low. 
has  accom-  ^he  low  average  of  former  centuries  was 


largely  the  result  of  the  plagues  and  pestilences 
which  in  the  Middle  Ages  swept  over  the  world  un- 
checked. Millions  of  people  were  sometimes  carried 
off  in  a  single  year,  and  whole  cities  and  provinces  were 
depopulated. 

In  the  fourteenth  century  the  "  Black  Death,"  now 
thought  to  have  been  the  bubonic  plague,  destroyed 
about  twenty-five  million  people,  —  one  fourth  the 
population  of  Europe. 

In  1466,  forty  thousand  people  died  of  plague  in  Paris. 

In  1570,  two  hundred  thousand  people  in  Moscow 
and  vicinity  were  carried  off  by  plague. 

In  the  year  of  the  Great  Plague  of  London,  1665,  the 
population  of  that  city  was  estimated  at  460,000. 
Two  thirds  of  these,  or  about  300,000,  fled  to  escape 
the  disease,  and  the  grass  grew  in  the.  streets  of  the 
deserted  city.  Of  the  160,000  who  were  left,  68,596 
died  of  the  plague. 

At  the  present  day  the  terrible  epidemic  diseases  that 
formerly  caused  such  a  high  death  rate  —  the  plague, 
cholera,  typhus  and  yellow  fever,  smallpox  —  have 


LIVING  LONG  AND  WELL  253 

been  largely  overcome  by  the  discoveries  of  modern 
science.  These  diseases  are  not,  however,  destroyed ; 
they  are  only  held  at  bay.  Any  carelessness  in  pre- 
venting them  would  open  the  door  for  them  to  return 
upon  us.  Our  freedom  from  smallpox,  for  instance, 
we  owe  to  the  practice  of  vaccination.  The  elimina- 
tion of  rats  is  now  recognized  as  a  necessary  safeguard 
against  bubonic  plague,  which  may  invade  any  American 
community  that  fails  to  destroy  its  rats. 

Such  diseases  as  scarlet  fever,  diphtheria,  typhoid 
fever,  measles,  tuberculosis,  have  also  been  greatly 
reduced  by  hygienic  measures,  and  this  has  also  reduced 
the  death  rate.  In  London  during  the  seventeenth  and 
eighteenth  centuries  the  death  rate  was  eighty  per  thou- 
sand ;  it  is  now  only  fifteen  per  thousand.  The  death 
rate  from  tuberculosis  has  diminished  in  England  two 
thirds  in  seventy  years.  In  Munich  the  annual  death 
rate  from  typhoid  fever  was  reduced  from  twenty-nine  to 
one  by  filling  up  the  cesspools  and  improving  the  water 
supply.  The  United  States  Census  Bureau  reports 
show  that  the  average  annual  death  rate  from  typhoid 
in  certain  cities  has  been  reduced  from  69.4  per  100,000 
to  19.8  by  the  introduction  of  pure  water  supplies. 

But,  although  so  much  has  been  accomplished,  much 
yet  remains  to  be  done  in  this  line.  "It  is  within  the 
power  of  man,"  said  Professor  Pasteur,  "to  rid  himself 
of  every  bacterial  disease." 

In  a  report  to  the  National  Conservation  Committee, 
Professor  Fisher  stated  that  of  the  1,500,000  deaths  that 


254  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

now  occur  in  this  country  every  year,  at  least  600,000 
-more  than  one  third  —  are  needless.  He  obtained 
What  re-  tms  information  by  taking  up  in  order  each  of 
mains  to  the  more  than  ninety  causes  of  death  accord- 
ing to  the  United  States  Census,  and  obtaining 
from  experts  on  each  of  the  diseases  an  estimate  of 
how  many  of  the  deaths  were  preventable.  On  this  basis 
it  worked  out  that  if  the  people  who  now  die  needlessly 
could  be  given  the  lives  that  they  should  have  had,  the 
average  duration  of  life  in  the  whole  country  would  be 
increased  by  fifteen  years.  Instead  of  being  forty-five, 
it  might  be  sixty. 

Among  the  causes  of  death  now  known  to  be  pre- 
ventable are  tuberculosis,  diarrhea  and  enteritis, 
pneumonia,  violence,  typhoid  fever,  and  diphtheria. 
The  following  table  shows  the  years  that  would  be 
added  to  the  average  life  span  if  these  causes  of  early 
death  were  prevented  by  means  which  are  now  well 
known  and  practical. 

Tuberculosis 2 

Diarrhea  and  enteritis 2.32 

Pneumonia     .     .     .     .     ,     .     .     ..    .     .     .0.94 

Violence 0.86 

Typhoid  fever 0.65 

Diphtheria     .     .     .     »    .     .....     .     .     .  0.53 

7-30 

The  addition  of  the  7.3  years  now  lost  by  these  causes 
alone  to  the  85,000,000  persons  now  living  in  the 
United  States  would  give  a  total  of  more  than  620,000,- 


LIVING  LONG  AND  WELL  255 

ooo  years  of  human  life  saved,  the  equal  of  more  than 
15,000,000  lives  of  the  present  average  length  in  this 
country,  more  than  one  sixth  of  the  total  population. 
What  a  marvelous  and  beneficent  accomplishment  the 
saving  of  this  amount  of  human  life  would  be ;  some- 
thing much  better  worth  while  than  the  building  of 
dreadnaughts  or  the  erecting  of  costly  monuments  for 
the  dead.  The  same  effort  and  the  same  care  now 
devoted  to  the  saving  of  animal  life  would  not  only  save 
this  7.3  years  of  life  to  every  man,  woman,  and  child 
in  the  United  States,  but  would  add  many  more  years. 

It  is  an  honor  to  a  country  to  have  a  low  death  rate. 
It  shows,  as  we  have  seen,  that  much  attention  is  given 
to  sanitation,  and  that  the  hygienic  condition  The  tme 
of  the  country  is  good.  It  does  not,  however,  measure  of 
give  us  the  true  measure  of  the  vigor  of  a  race.  race  Vlgor> 
The  true  measure  of  racial  vigor  is  not  the  increase  of 
life  for  all,  but  the  number  of  persons  who  attain  great 
age.  It  is  also  shown  in  the  power  of  the  race  to  resist 
organic  or  chronic  diseases. 

From  this  standpoint  we  find  that  while  the  average 
length  of  life  has  doubled,  the  race  has  at  the  same 
time  actually  become  weaker  instead  of  stronger.  This 
is  because  personal  hygiene  has  not  kept  pace  with 
public  hygiene.  (What  is  the  difference  between  these 
two  ?) 

Statistics  show  that  this  race  decay  is  going  on  so 
rapidly  that  even  within  the  last  thirty  years,  while 
there  has  been  a  marked  decrease  in  the  death  rate  up 


256  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

to  forty  years,  there  is  an  increase  in  the  death  rate  for 
people  over  forty  years  of  age.  In  Massachusetts, 
where  the  records  have  been  most  carefully  kept,  for 
persons  from  forty  to  fifty  years  there  is  an  increase  of 
8.3  per  cent ;  from  fifty  to  sixty,  the  increase  is  17.6  per 
cent;  from  eighty  years  and  upwards,  10.1  per  cent. 
So  a  man  of  seventy  years  of  age  to-day  has  only  about 
four  fifths  as  good  a  chance  to  live  as  a  man  of  the  same 
age  had  thirty  or  forty  years  ago.  There  is  also  a 
very  great  increase  in  the  number  of  persons  afflicted 
with  chronic  diseases. 

Strange  as  it  may  seem,  the  condition  which  these 
figures  indicate  is  partly  the  result  of  the  increased 
attention  given  to  public  hygiene.  The  plagues  and 
pestilences  of  former  centuries  weeded  out  the  weak  and 
puny  individuals  whose  resistance  was  feeble,  sparing 
the  strong,  healthy,  and  pure-blooded.  The  result  was 
the  survival  of  the  fittest. 

Public  sanitation,  quarantine  laws,  and  hygienic 
measures  serve  a  most  useful  purpose  in  preventing 
epidemic  diseases  ;  but  this  protection  results  in  keeping 
alive  a  lot  of  weak  persons  who  would  otherwise  be 
weeded  out.  So  while  the  death  .rate  is  diminished  and 
the  average  length  of  life  increased,  the  race  is  weakened 
instead  of  strengthened  thereby,  because  these  feeble 
persons  transmit  their  weaknesses  and  deficiencies  to 
future  generations. 

What  is  to  be  done  to  check  this  race  decay  and 
actually  to  improve  the  race  ?  The  thing  that  is 


LIVING  LONG  AND  WELL  257 

needed   is  not  less  attention  to  public  hygiene,   but 
more  attention  to  personal  hygiene. 

Just  as  it  is  an  honor  to  a  nation  through  its  attention 
to  public  hygiene  to  have  low  death  and  sickness  rates 
and  a  high  average  length  of  life,  so  it  is  an  honor  to  an 
individual,  by  attention  to  personal  hygiene,  to  keep 
himself  in  a  high  state  of  health  and  vitality  and  live  a 
long  and  useful  life.  Let  us  glance  at  some  examples 
of  those  who  have  attained  this  honor. 

Going  back  to  the  early  ages,  we  notice  the  uni- 
formity with  which  men  lived   to   advanced  some  ex- 
age.     According  to  the  ancient  records,  Abra-  ampies  of 
ham  lived  to  175  ;  his  son  Isaac  died  at  the  longevity- 
age  of  1 80;    and  Ishmael,  his  other  son,  at  the  age  of 
137.     Jacob,  the  son  of  Isaac,  lived  to  147  years  of  age. 

Pliny  tells  us  that  in  the  time  of  the  Emperor  Ves- 
pasian there  lived  in  the  portion  of  Italy  between  the 
Apennines  and  the  Po,  134  persons  who  were  more 
than  one  hundred  years  old.  Of  these  persons  three 
had  reached  the  age  of  140  ;  four,  135  ;  four,  130  ;  two, 
125;  fifty-seven  no.  Where  could  such  a  group  be 
found  at  the  present  time  ? 

The  greatest  authentic  recorded  age  of  our  era  is 
that  of  Kentigern,  known  by  the  name  of  St.  Mungo,  the 
founder  of  the  Cathedral  of  Glasgow,  who  died  in  the 
year  600  at  the  age  of  185  years.  An  Hungarian  peas- 
ant, Pierre  Zortay,  is  also  said  to  have  reached  this 
great  age  and  to  have  been  able  to  walk  a  mile  a  few 
days  before  his  death.  His  great  age  was  attributed 


258  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

to  the  extreme  simplicity  of  his  diet,  which  consisted 
of  simple  cakes  of  grain  with  milk  and  buttermilk. 

An  Englishman  named  Thomas  Parr  lived  in  the 
reigns  often  sovereigns  and  died  in  1635,  aged  152  years 
and  9  months.  He  was  a  poor  peasant  and  did  hard 
work  up  to  the  age  of  130,  when  he  is  said  to  have 
threshed  corn.  He  might  have  lived  longer  than  he 
did,  but  his  fame  reached  the  ears  of  the  Earl  of  Arundel, 
who  wished  to  exhibit  him  at  court.  He  was  taken  to 
London  in  a  specially  prepared  litter  and  presented  to 
Charles  I.  But  the  change  of  air  and  the  change  from 
the  accustomed  simplicity  of  his  diet  affected  him,  and 
he  died  at  the  Earl  of  Arundel's  house.  The  king 
ordered  the  celebrated  Dr.  Harvey,  who  discovered  the 
circulation  of  the  blood,  to  make  an  examination  of  the 
body  after  death.  He  could  find  no  traces  of  disease, 
but  found  all  the  internal  organs  in  an  unusually  perfect 
state.  Even  the  cartilages  were  not  ossified  ;  the  rib 
cartilages  were  as  elastic  as  those  of  a  young  man. 
Thomas  Parr  was  buried  in  Westminster  Abbey,  among 
the  great  statesmen,  warriors,  poets,  and  others  who 
have  been  an  honor  to  their  country,  with  his  claim  to 
greatness  this :  that  he  had  kept  his  body  in  a  perfect 
state  of  health  for  more  than  a  century  and  a  half. 

The  examples  of  great  longevity  are  nearly  all  to  be 
found  in  the  lowly  ranks  of  life,  among  peasants  and 
laborers,  persons  of  simple  and  temperate  habits. 
Many  of  them  have  lived  on  a  simple  diet  of  bread,  milk, 
and  vegetables.  Among  the  early  Christians,  the  her- 


LIVING  LONG  AND  WELL  259 

mits  who  retired  to  the  desert  and  lived  on  bread,  water, 
and  herbs,  taking  only  the  smallest  quantity  that  would 
support  life,  lived  to  great  age.  In  the  list  we  find 
St.  Anthony,  105  years;  Arsenius,  120;  St.  Epipha- 
nius,  115,  and  Romanul,  120. 

Among  other  notable  centenarians  we  have  the  noble 
Venetian,  Cornaro,  who  lived  to  be  nearly  one  hundred 
and  who  has  left  us  a  most  interesting  record  Lui  .  Cor 
of  the  reason  for  his  remarkable  freedom  from  naro,  a 
all  physical  ills  at  that  advanced  age.     He  Venetian 
wrote  this  record  because  he  was  asked  by  so 
many  young  men  to  tell  them  his  manner  of  life.     "  For 
when,"  he  says,  "they  saw  their  parents  and  kindred 
snatched  away  in  the  midst  of  their  days,  and  me,  con- 
trariwise, at  the  age  of  eighty-one  strong   and  lusty, 
they  had  a  great  desire  to  know  the  way  of  my  life 
and  how  I  came  to  be  so." 

Cornaro  injured  his  health  greatly  in  his  young  man- 
hood by  the  excesses  in  eating  and  drinking  common  to 
men  of  his  rank,  which,  he  says,  "caused  me  to  fall  a 
prey  to  various  ailments,  such  as  pains  in  the  stomach, 
frequent  pains  in  the  side,  symptoms  of  gout,  and  still 
worse,  a  low  fever  that  was  almost  continuous;."  Be- 
fore he  was  forty  years  of  age  he  was,  as  he  tells  us, 
"reduced  to  so  infirm  a  condition  that  my  physicians 
declared  there  was  but  one  remedy  left  for  my  ills  — 
a  remedy  that  would  surely  conquer  thenv  provided 
I  would  make  up  my  mind  to  apply  it  and  persevere 
patiently  in  its  use.  That  remedy  was  the  temperate 


2<5o  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

and  orderly  life."  He  was  given  to  understand  by  his 
physicians  that  if  he  wished  to  live  he  must  confine  his 
diet  to  light  and  simple  foods  and  take  these  only  in 
small  quantities. 

Cornaro  loved  life,  he  did  not  want  to  die,  and  he  saw 
that  his  only  hope  lay  in  the  change  of  his  habits. 
He  was  evidently  a  man  of  determination  of  character, 
and  realizing,  he  says,  "that  to  live  temperately  and 
rationally  was  not  only  an  easy  matter  but  the  duty  of 
every  man,  I  entered  upon  my  new  course  so  heartily 
that  I  never  afterwards  swerved  from  it,  nor  ever  com- 
mitted the  slightest  excess  in  any  direction." 

The  result  of  this  change  was  extraordinary  :  "With- 
in a  few  days  I  began  to  realize  that  this  new  life  suited 
my  health  excellently,  and  persevering  in  it,  in  less  than 
a  year  I  found  myself  entirely  cured  of  all  my  com- 
plaints." 

Cornaro  reasoned  that  the  manner  of  life  that  had 
cured  him  would  be  likely  to  keep  him  in  health,  and 
from  that  time  he  confined  his  diet  to  a  very  simple 
and  meager  diet,  about  half  the  quantity  he  had  pre- 
viously eaten.  On  this  diet  he  reached  a  condition  of 
superb  health,  which  continued  until  he  died  at  nearly 
one  hundred  years  of  age.  This  is  an  illustration  of 
what  we  have  already  learned  that  the  majority  of 
people  consume  about  twice  as  much  food  as  they 
actually  need,  and  the  superfluous  half  is  merely  a 
tax  on  the  system. 

Cornaro  experienced  to  the  full  that  enjoyment  of  life 


LIVING  LONG  AND  WELL  261 

which  results  from  perfect  health.  "The  first  joy,"  he 
said,  "is  to  be  of  service  to  one's  beloved  country." 
With  his  restored  health  he  was  able  to  devote  his 
talents  to  the  service  of  his  country  in  the  patronage 
of  the  arts,  in  writing,  building,  engineering,  and  agri- 
culture. He  drained  marshes,  converting  vast  areas 
of  waste  lands  into  thriving  agricultural  areas,  built 
palaces  that  were  models  of  architecture,  and  wrote  for 
future  generations  the  secret  of  his  own  long,  happy, 
useful  life. 

Writing  when  he  was  between  eighty  and  ninety  years 
of  age,  he  gives  us  this  picture  of  his  life  at  that  time  : 
"I  live  in  the  most  beautiful  part  of  this  noble  and 
learned  city  of  Padua,  and  derive  from  it  a  thousand 
advantages.  I  ...  enjoy  my  several  gardens  and 
always  find  something  to  delight  me.  ...  In  April  and 
May,  as  also  in  September  and  October  I  find  other 
pleasures  in  enjoying  a  country  seat  of  mine  among  the 
Euganean  Hills  with  its  fountains  and  gardens,  and 
above  all  its  commodious  and  beautiful  abode,  also  my 
villa  in  the  plain,  which  is  very  fine  with  streets  and 
a  square,  and  a  church  much  honored  —  a  country, 
which  once  deserted  on  account  of  bad  air  and  marshy 
waters,  is  now  by  my  labors  all  rich  in  inhabitants  and 
fields  most  fertile,  so  that  I  may  say  with  truth  that  in 
this  spot  I  have  given  to  God  an  altar,  a  temple,  and 
souls  to  adore  him.  ..."  Here  I  take  pleasure  with 
men  of  fine  intellect,  architects,  painters,  sculptors, 
musicians,  and  agriculturists." 


262  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

Of  his  physical  condition  at  this  advanced  age  he 
says :  "I  am  continually  in  health,  and  I  am  so  nimble 
that  I  can  easily  get  on  horseback  without  the  advan- 
tage of  the  ground,  and  sometimes  I  go  up  high  stairs  and 
hills  on  foot.  Then  I  am  ever  cheerful,  merry,  and  well 
contented,  free  from  all  troubles  and  troublesome 
thoughts,  in  whose  places  joy  and  peace  have  taken  up 
their  standing  in  my  heart." 

Mr.  Edison,  the  great  inventor,  tells  us  that  his 
great-great-grandfather  read  the  life  of  Cornaro,  and 
by  carrying  out  the  principles  he  obtained  from  this 
book,  lived  to  the  age  of  102  years.  Edison's  great 
grandfather  studied  the  same  book,  and  lived  to  be 
103  years  old.  Edison's  grandfather  adopted  the  same 
principles  and  died  at  the  age  of  ninety.  Edison's 
father  followed  in  his  daily  life  the  example  of  his 
father,  and  lived  ninety-four  years,  passing  away  with- 
out any  apparent  illness.  Edison  himself  adopted  the 
same  principles  and  tells  us  that  as  a  result  he  has 
been  sick  only  four  times  in  sixty-five  years. 

Another  example  of  splendid  health  and  vigor  in 

old  age  was  Count  Tolstoy,  the  celebrated   Russian 

T        writer  and  social  reformer.      He  was  a  lover 

stoy,  a        of    country    life    and    of    physical    exercise. 

Russian      Very  early  in  life  he  began  to  strive    after 

perfection,     physical,     mental,     and     moral. 

"My  only  real  faith  at  that  time,"   he  says,    "was  a 

belief  in  perfection.      I  tried  to  perfect  myself  mentally. 

I  studied  everything  that  I  could,  and  that  life  brought 


LIVING  LONG  AND  WELL  263 

me  in  contact  with.  I  tried  to  perfect  my  will,  and 
formed  rules  which  I  tried  to  follow.  I  perfected 
myself  physically,  prompting  my  strength  and  agility 
with  all  kinds  of  exercises  and  practicing  endurance 
and  patience  in  all  kinds  of  privations." 

In  Tolstoy's  boyhood  he  made  this  resolution,  re- 
corded in  his  diary :  "  I  shall  take  exercise  as  much  as 
possible,  and  practice  gymnastics  every  day,  so  that 
when  I  am  twenty-five  years  old  I  shall  be  stronger 
than  Rappean.  The  first  day  I  shall  hold  twenty 
pounds  in  my  outstretched  arm,  the  next  day  twenty- 
one  pounds,  the  third  day  twenty-two  pounds,  and 
so  on,  until  at  last  160  pounds  in  each  hand,  so  that  I 
shall  be  stronger  than  anybody  among  the  servants." 

The  effect  of  his  outdoor  life  and  muscular  training 
was  of  great  benefit  to  Tolstoy  in  his  after  life.  When 
the  Crimean  War  broke  out  he  joined  the  Russian 
army  and  took  part  in  the  siege  of  Sebastopol.  The 
rigors  of  the  siege  had  no  effect  upon  him,  because 
of  the  endurance  that  his  manner  of  life  had  developed. 
One  of  his  comrades  describing  him  at  this  time  said 
that  he  was  "an  athlete  who,  lying  upon  the  floor, 
could  let  a  man  weighing  thirteen  stone  be  placed  on 
his  hands  and  could  lift  him  up  by  straightening  his 
arms.  In  a  tug  of  war  ...  no  one  could  beat  him." 

The  Tales  from  Sebastopol  that  Tolstoy  wrote  at 
this  time  attracted  the  attention  of  the  Czar,  who 
issued  special  orders  that  he  should  be  at  once  removed 
from  a  post  of  danger,  as  the  life  of  so  great  an  artist 


264  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

should  not  be  risked.  Tolstoy  returned  to  St.  Peters- 
burg, where  he  met  dangers  of  another  character. 
His  writings  had  made  him  famous,  fetes  and  dinners 
were  given  in  his  honor,  and  he  indulged  for  a  time  in 
excesses.  He  did  not,  however,  neglect  his  gymnastic 
exercises,  but  spent  a  good  deal  of  time  in  the  gymna- 
sium trying  to  jump  over  a  wooden  horse  without 
touching  a  cone  placed  on  its  back,  a  favorite  feat  at 
that  time. 

Tolstoy  soon  became  disgusted  with  the  kind  of  life 
he  was  leading  at  the  capital,  and  returned  to  his 
country  estate,  Nasyana  Polyana,  and  devoted  his 
influence,  talents,  and  strength  to  trying  to  better 
the  condition  of  the  Russian  peasantry.  He  started 
schools  for  the  children  on  his  estate  and  he  himself 
did  much  of  the  teaching  for  a  time.  All  the  serfs 
owned  by  him  were  given  their  freedom  before  the 
laws  made  it  necessary.  He  traveled  in  other  coun- 
tries to  study  their  educational  and  municipal  systems, 
visiting  the  universities,  prisons,  working  men's  clubs, 
and  such  institutions,  in  order  to  find  out  how  he  could 
best  improve  the  condition  of  his  own  people. 

Tolstoy  always  enjoyed  manual  labor.  He  was 
accustomed  to  mow  the  lawns,  rake  the  garden  beds, 
and  even  work  with  the  peasants  in  the  fields.  He 
learned  to  make  and  mend  shoes,  so  that  he  might  have 
some  useful  manual  work  to  do  in  bad  weather.  "  For 
me,"  he  said,  "daily  exercise  and  physical  labor  are 
as  indispensable  as  air.  In  summer  in  the  country 


LIVING  LONG  AND  WELL  265 

I  have  plenty  of  choice.  I  can  plow  or  cut  grass, 
but  in  the  autumn  in  rainy  weather  it  is  wretched. 
In  the  country  there  are  no  sidewalks  or  pavements, 
so  when  it  rains,  I  cobble  and  make  shoes.  In  town, 
too,  I  am  bored  by  simple  walking,  and  I  cannot 
plow  or  mow  there,  so  I  saw  or  split  wood  !" 

It  was  his  belief  that  the  health  and  peace  of  mind 
of  the  peasants  was  largely  the  result  of  the  simplicity 
of  their  life  and  their  hard  work.  More  and  more,  as 
he  advanced  in  years,  he  departed  from  the  life  of  his 
own  class  and  adopted  that  of  the  peasants.  He  rose 
early  and  went  to  work  in  the  fields.  He  took  part  in 
plowing,  cutting  the  corn,  and  labor  of  that  nature. 
He  helped  widows  and  orphans  to  gather  in  their  crops. 

Of  the  delights  of  plowing,  Tolstoy  wrote:  "You 
cannot  conceive  what  a  satisfaction  it  is  to  plow.  .  .  . 
It  is  not  very  hard  work,  as  many  people  suppose ;  it 
is  pure  enjoyment.  You  go  along,  lifting  up  and 
properly  directing  the  plow,  and  you  don't  notice 
how  one,  two,  or  three  hours  go  by.  The  blood  runs 
merrily  through  your  veins ;  your  head  becomes 
clear ;  you  don't  feel  the  weight  of  your  feet ;  and  the 
appetite  afterwards,  and  the  sleep  !" 

The  watchword  of  Tolstoy's  life  was  simplicity: 
" .  .  .  that  is  above  all  others  the  quality  I  desire  to 
obtain."  His  habits  of  eating  were  in  keeping  with 
the  general  simplicity  of  his  life.  "I  dine  at  home," 
he  once  wrote,  "on  cabbage  soup  and  buckwheat 
porridge,  with  which  I  am  contented."  Later  in  life 


266  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

he  gave  up  meat  eating  because  he  became  convinced 
that  it  was  not  the  natural  diet,  and  that  the  moral 
effect  of  the  unnecessary  taking  of  life  must  be  harmful. 
For  the  same  reason  he  put  away  his  gun  and  ceased 
to  engage  in  field  sports. 

Another  indulgence  which  Tolstoy  also  renounced 
as  injurious  and  unhealthy  was  tobacco.  "The  man 
who  does  not  smoke,"  he  said,  "saves  ten  years  of  his 
life,  and  the  man  who  does  not  drink  saves  twenty." 
Writing  to  a  friend  he  said,  "  Do  you  still  smoke  ? 
I  do  not  know  how  to  rejoice  sufficiently  at  having 
rid  myself  of  this  habit."  In  his  old  age,  as  in  his 
youth,  he  was  still  striving  after  perfection,  resolutely 
giving  up  every  habit  that  he  saw  to  be  a  hindrance  to 
him. 

Late  in  life,  Mr.  Gladstone  was  given  the  popular 
nickname,  "Grand  Old  Man,"  because  of 

William         ,  .  .      ,.  i     i        •      i      •  -11 

Ewart  nis  great  vitality  and  physical  vigor  in  old  age. 
Gladstone,  He  was  Premier  of  Great  Britain  and  Ireland 
statesman  '  at  tne  a^vanced  age  of  eighty-four  years. 

Mr.  Gladstone  was  first  elected  to  Parlia- 
ment when  a  young  man  only  twenty-three  years  of 
age,  and  his  parliamentary  career  lasted  for  more 
than  sixty  years.  He  was  the  greatest  orator  of  his 
age,  and  in  his  prime  he  could  be  heard  without  diffi- 
culty by  an  audience  of  20,000  people.  One  who  heard 
him  often  said:  "After  the  delivery  of  a  speech  of 
four  or  five  hours  in  its  duration,  the  closing  words 
will  ring  as  a  bell  upon  the  ear,  without  the  faintest 


LIVING  LONG  AND  WELL  267 

perception  to  the  last  of  anything  like  physical  ex- 
haustion." 

Describing  him  when  he  was  over  seventy  years  old, 
another  said  :  "The  intellectual  fire  is  rather  quickened 
than  quenched,  and  the  promise  of  health  has  been 
abundantly  fulfilled  in  a  maintenance  of  physical 
strength  and  activity  that  seems  phenomenal.  Mr. 
Gladstone  will  outsit  the  youngest  member  of  the 
House  if  the  issue  at  stake  claims  his  vote  in  the  pending 
division.  He  can  speak  for  three  hours  at  a  stretch, 
and  he  will  put  in  the  three  hours  as  much  mental  and 
physical  energy  as  would  suffice  for  the  whole  debate. 
His  magnificent  voice  is  as  true  in  tone  and  as  insen- 
sible to  fatigue  as  when  it  was  first  heard  within  the 
walls  of  the  house."  Even  when  eighty-six  years  of 
age  he  said,  "What  difference  does  it  make  to  me 
whether  I  speak  to  four  hundred  people  or  four  thou- 
sand ?" 

On  the  eve  of  his  seventieth  birthday,  Mr.  Gladstone 
started  out  on  a  political  campaign  in  the  midst  of  a 
severe  winter.  Day  after  day,  sometimes  twice  or 
three  times  a  day,  he  addressed  large  audiences,  often 
in  the  open  air.  "Speech  followed  speech,  none  a 
repetition  of  the  other,  and  all  the  world  agreed  that 
never  in  history  had  there  been  an  equal  display  of 
physical  and  intellectual  force  from  a  man  whose  years 
were  threescore  and  ten." 

Being  asked  the  secret  of  his  wonderful  vitality,  Mr. 
Gladstone  answered:  "There  was  a  road  leading  out 


268  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

of  London  on  which  more  horses  died  than  on  any 
other.  Inquiry  revealed  the  fact  that  it  was  perfectly 
level.  Consequently  the  animals  in  traveling  over  it 
used  only  one  set  of  muscles." 

Mr.  Gladstone  preserved  his  mental  and  physical 
health  by  varying  his  intellectual  work  and  by  vigorous 
physical  exercise.  Besides  the  immense  amount  of 
work  which  his  political  career  made  necessary,  he 
wrote  many  books  and  pamphlets,  the  naming  of  which 
takes  up  twenty-two  pages  in  the  catalogue  of  the  Brit- 
ish Museum. 

His  ability  to  accomplish  so  much  was  attributed 
by  him  to  his  marvelous  faculty  for  concentration, 
which  he  said  was  the  only  thing  in  which  he  differed 
from  other  men.  He  concentrated  all  his  forces  on 
whatever  he  chanced  to  be  doing  at  the  moment  and 
threw  his  whole  soul  into  it. 

Once  in  addressing  a  gathering  of  schoolboys  he 
told  them  that  if  a  boy  ran  he  should  run  as  fast  as 
he  could ;  if  he  jumped,  he  should  jump  as  far  as  he 
could.  Following  this  advice  would  certainly  result 
in  increased  capacity  to  run  and  jump.  Mr.  Glad- 
stone followed  this  principle  in  his  own  career.  He 
never  did  anything  by  halves,  but  exerted  his  powers 
to  the  utmost  and,  in  this  way,  increased  his  capacity. 

Mr.  Gladstone's  favorite  recreation  and  hobby  was 
felling  trees.  Stripped  to  his  shirt,  he  often  attacked 
the  tough  oaks  on '  his  estate  at  Hawarden  and  some- 
times felled  a  four-foot  forest  monarch  in  a  day.  He 


LIVING  LONG  AND  WELL  269 

was  also  a  great  walker,  going  very  fast  and  very  far, 
as  we  should  expect  of  such  a  man. 

We  may  presume  that  he  himself  followed  the  famous 
rule  given  to  his  children,  to  chew  every  mouthful  of 
food  thirty-two  times.  We  suppose,  too,  that  this 
thorough  mastication  had  much  to  do  with  keeping 
him  in  health  until  nearly  ninety  years  of  age.  A 
person  who  once  watched  him  closely  at  a  banquet 
declared  that  he  counted  his  chewing  movements  and 
found  that  he  exceeded  his  rule,  often  chewing  each 
morsel  forty  times  or  more. 

One  of  the  most  remarkable  men  of  this  country  in 
recent  years,  from  the  physical  standpoint,  was  Captain 
Ezekiel  Diamond,  who  at  the  age  of  100  years 

,  .  ,  i  r  Captain 

was  an  active  athlete,  writer,  and  teacher  or  Diamond 
physical   culture.     One  who   visited   him   at  athlete  at 
the  age  of  114  years  says  that  he  was  "able  to  *f*years 
lift  his  foot  with  ease  to  the  top  of  his  five- 
foot  bookcase,  read  ordinary  type  at  the  proper  dis- 
tance of  fourteen  inches  without  glasses,  and  get  up 
and  down  stairs  like  a  man  of  forty." 

Like  Cornaro,  Captain  Diamond  has  written  a  book 
in  which  he  tells  us  what  he  believes  to  be  "the  secret 
of  a  much  longer  life,  and  more  pleasure  in  living  it." 

His  boyhood  was  spent  in  pioneer  farm  life,  and 
"it  is  quite  probable,"  he  says,  "that  I  owe  much  of 
my  lifelong  health  to  the  simple  industrious  habits, 
swinging  the  axe,  digging  with  the  hoe,  mixing  with 
the  earth,  and  breathing  the  pure  air."  Having  no 


270  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

trade  and  no  education,  he  afterwards  lived  a  migra- 
tory life,  spending  his  summers  in  the  north  helping 
to  build  the  first  railroads  in  the  United  States,  and 
his  winters  in  the  south  in  the  commission  business  or 
superintending  plantations.  He  also  took  part  in  the 
construction  of  canals,  and  levees,  and  made  occasional 
trips  to  the  West  Indies  and  to  Europe.  Sixty-five 
years  of  his  life,  more  than  the  average  span,  were 
spent  in  this  way. 

Later  on  he  went  west,  arriving  in  San  Francisco  as 
an  emigrant.  For  years  he  operated  a  street  car  in 
that  city.  In  his  ninety-seventh  year  he  took  a  posi- 
tion as  night  watchman  in  a  hotel.  After  he  was 
one  hundred  years  old  he  began  selling  books,  his 
own  among  the  number,  walking  from  ten  to  twenty- 
five  miles  a  day.  But  the  fire  connected  with  the 
San  Francisco  earthquake  in  1906  destroyed  17,000 
copies  of  his  book  and  sent  him  at  the  age  of  no  as 
a  refugee  to  Oakland,  where  he  slept  in  a  church  pew. 
From  there  he  moved  to  a  loft,  into  which  he  had  to 
climb  by  means  of  a  vertical  ladder. 

Captain  Diamond  tells  us  in  his  book  what  he  be- 
lieves has  made  this  long  life  of  labor  possible.  It 
is  not  a  case  of  inheritance,  neither  is  it  accidental, 
but  "is  the  result  of  a  life  of  denial  to  the  palate,  and 
of  good  care  to  the  framework  of  the  body." 

When  he  was  over  sixty  years  old  he  suddenly,  to 
his  surprise,  found  himself  to  be  getting  old.  He  dis- 
covered it,  he  says,  in  this  way : 


LIVING  LONG  AND  WELL  271 

"One  day  I  jumped  from  a  wagon  to  the  ground, 
and  my  joints  did  not  respond  with  the  usual  rebound. 
I  was  startled  and  surprised.  Resuming  my  place 
in  the  wagon  I  leaped  to  the  ground  again  as  a  proof 
trial.  The  proof  was  there,  for  not  only  did  the  knees 
refuse  to  rebound  but  the  backbone  creaked  and  cried 
out  in  pain.  I  was  humiliated." 

From  this  time  Captain  Diamond  began  to  give 
special  care  to  the  body,  not  because  he  wanted  to 
live  to  be  old,  but  because  he  wanted  "to  enjoy  life 
as  long  as  it  lasted."  'Three  things,"  he  says  in  his 
book,  "I  have  faithfully  practiced  for  the  past  half 
century.  The  first  is  that  of  breathing  the  freshest 
air  possible,  long,  deep  draughts.  The  second  is  the 
selection  and  eating  of  the  best  bone  and  blood  food 
at  my  command.  The  third  is  the  use  of  pure  water 
at  proper  time  and  temperature,  never  taking  it  ice 
cold." 

Cornaro  laid  the  chief  emphasis  upon  limiting  the 
quantity  of  the  food.  Captain  Diamond  lays  more 
upon  the  selection  of  the  food  : 

"The  selection  of  the  food  and  drink  is  of  vast 
importance  in  youth,  but  it  does  not  become  of  first 
importance  in  the  estimation  of  men  until  they  have 
reached  the  meridian  of  life.  By  this  time  the  ma- 
chinery of  the  physical  man  has  been  running  several 
decades  with  but  little  attention,  and  there  is  rheuma- 
tism, chronic  headache,  liver  pains,  kidney  troubles, 
stomach  rebellions,  dyspepsia,  which  means  chronic 


272  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

constipation.  It  is  generally  known  and  admitted 
by  the  most  thoughtful  people  that  by  far  the  greater 
amount  of  physical  suffering  is  the  result  of  eating 
too  much  or  of  eating  the  wrong  kind  of  food." 

"When  I  began  to  prepare  the  body  for  long  and 
healthy  life,  I  left  out  of  my  diet  slaughtered  meats. 
Strong  meats,  often  taken,  are  the  source  of  all  kinds 
of  disease,  laying  the  foundation  for  untold  suffering." 

Captain  Diamond  gives  us  the  following  sample  of 
his  dinner  menus : 

"Hot  water,  vegetable  or  rice  and  tomato  soup,  whole 
wheat  bread,  buttered  or  with  olive  oil,  sweet  potatoes, 
beans,  fruit  in  season." 

He  had  great  faith  in  olive  oil,  not  only  as  a  food 
but  he  frequently  anointed  his  body  with  it. 

In  dedicating  a  revised  edition  of  his  book  he  says : 

"After  more  than  no  years  of  active  life,  in  possession 
and  perfect  use  of  every  sense  and  faculty  unimpaired, 
I  dedicate  this  book  to  the  cause  of  temperance  in  all 
things,  knowing  that  proper  care  of  the  body,  and 
selection  and  use  of  Nature's  food  and  drink,  are  the 
only  means  of  arriving  at  old  age  healthy  and  happy." 

Dr.  Eliot,  for  forty  years  president  of  Harvard 
University,  was  asked  a  few  years  ago  to  make  known 
President  f°r  tne  benefit  of  the  public  the  secret  of  the 
Eliot's  marvelous  vigor  and  activity  of  mind  and 
lony>  body  that  he  has  maintained  in  spite  of  the 
duties  of  his  exacting  position.  This  is  his  reply : 

"My  health  and  capacity  for  work  at  seventy-seven 


LIVING  LONG  AND  WELL  273 

years  of  age  are  unusually  good.  I  attribute  this 
result  to  a  good  constitution,  moderation  in  eating 
and  drinking,  a  habit  of  taking  some  exercise  and 
some  fresh  air  every  day,  and  of  avoiding  all  sorts  of 
luxury  and  the  constant  use  of  any  drug,  such  as 
alcohol,  coffee,  tea,  or  tobacco. 

"Since  I  was  twelve  years  of  age  my  sports  have 
been  walking,  riding  horseback,  driving,  rowing,  and 
sailing;  to  which,  after  I  was  sixty-five  years  old,  I 
added  riding  a  bicycle.  I  am  still  good  for  all  those 
sports  in  moderation,  and  still  enjoy  them. 

"The  use  of  dumb-bells  and  clubs  has  been  for  me 
only  an  inferior  resort  in  bad  weather,  or  when  I  am 
somewhat  prevented  from  getting  my  exercise  in  the 
open  air.  Under  such  circumstances  I  still  use  light 
dumb-bells. 

"In  1858,  when  I  was  a  tutor  in  Harvard  College,  I 
rowed  in  the  Harvard  boat  (the  first  shell)  in  two 
regattas  on  the  Charles  River  basin,  in  both  cases  for 
money  prizes,  the  Harvard  boat  winning  against  a 
large  number  of  competitors.  The  performance  only 
lasted  about  two  months,  and  was  the  only  exception 
to  the  rule  that  the  sports  which  have  served  and  still 
serve  me  are  individualistic,  requiring  no  team  or  group 
of  cooperating  players.  Individualistic  sports  can  be 
carried  on  into  middle  life  and  old  age  at  great  advan- 
tage over  sports  which  require  the  cooperation  of  other 
persons. 

"  Ever  since  I  can  remember  I  have  been  disposed  to 


274  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

do  every  day  all  the  mental  work  I  could  perform  with- 
out fatigue,  and  that  is  still  my  practice  -  -  a  wholesome 
one. 

"When  I  am  asked  about  the  habits  which  are  most 
conducive  to  a  long,  active  life,  I  generally  answer, 
1  Moderation  in  eating,  a  full  allowance  of  sleep,  and 
no  regular  use  of  any  stimulant  whatever ! ' 

HEALTH  PROBLEMS 

1.  From  the  reports  of  the  health  office  in  your  city  or  county, 
find  out  what  per  cent  of  the  deaths  in  your  community  result  from 
the  diseases  mentioned  in  this  chapter  as  needless. 

2.  Do  you  know  any  people  over  ninety  years  of  age  who  are 
still  active  and  healthy  ?     If  so,  find  out  what  they  have  done  to 
preserve  their  health. 

3.  What  kind  of  diet  seems  best  suited  to  make  one  long-lived  ? 

4.  Do  many  people  who  have  used  tobacco  and  alcohol  the 
greater  part  of  their  lives  live  to  a  useful  old  age  ?     Why  ? 

5.  If  you  can  do  so,  find  out  something  about  the  oldest  in- 
mates of  the  poorhouse  in  your  community.     See  if  you  can  tell 
what  habits  or  conditions  of  life  caused  them  to  become  too  feeble 
to  work  in  their  old  age. 

6.  In  the  little  state  of  Sparta,  old  men  who  were  still  active 
and  strong  were  treated  with  honor  and  respect.     Do  you  think 
this  was  just  ?     Why  ? 

7.  Few  of  the  men  mentioned  in  this  chapter  were  wealthy. 
Most  of  them  were  hard  workers.     Explain. 

8.  Find  out  in  what  trades  or  what  kind  of  positions  there  are 
the  greatest  number  of  vigorous  old  people.     Explain. 

9.  Do  you  know  people  who  worked  in  mines  or  factories  in 
early  childhood  and  who  are  healthy  in  old  age  ? 

10.  Mention  some  games  you  can  play  in  winter  which  will 
help  to  make  you  strong  and  long-lived.     Mention  some  you  can 
play  in  summer. 


LIVING  LONG  AND  WELL  275 

REVIEW  QUESTIONS 

1 .  What  was  the  average  length  of  human  life  in  the  sixteenth 
century  ? 

2.  What  is  the  average  length  to-day  ? 

3.  Do  men  now  live  to  a  greater  age  than  in  the  past  ? 

4.  What  has  caused  the  increase  in  the  average  length  of  life  ? 

5.  What  is  the  average  in  India  ?     In  Sweden  ?     Why  is  there 
such  a  difference  ? 

6.  Upon  what  does  the  average  length  of  life  depend  ? 

7.  What  is  a  plague  ?     Mention  some  plagues. 

8.  Tell  how  plagues  of  various  kinds  are  being  prevented. 

9.  What  per  cent  of  the  deaths   occurring  annually  in   this 
country  are  needless  ? 

10.  Name  the  preventable  diseases  that  are  causing  many  deaths. 

11.  What  is  the  true  measure  of  a  nation's  vigor  ?     Why  ? 

12.  Is  the  race  as  a  whole  becoming  weaker  or  stronger  ?     How 
do  we  know  this  ? 

13.  How  has  the  increased  attention  given  to  public  hygiene 
helped  to  make  the  race  as  a  whole  weaker  ? 

14.  What  is  needed  to  strengthen  the  race  ? 

15.  Give  some  examples  of  longevity  in  early  times. 

16.  Tell  about  Thomas  Parr.     To  what  was  his  longevity  due  ? 

17.  How  did  Cornara  transform  himself  from  a  weak,  sickly 
man  to  a  strong,  healthy,  long-lived  one  ? 

1 8.  What  did  Tolstoy  strive  for?     Tell  how  he  attained  great 
physical  perfection. 

19.  What  did  Tolstoy  say  about  the  effects  of  tobacco  ? 

20.  What  did  Gladstone  observe  about  the  horses  that  traveled 
a  certain  London  road  ? 

21.  Tell  how  he  applied  this  to  his  own  life. 

22.  Tell  about  Captain  Diamond.     What  did  he  recommend 
for  people  who  wished  to  lead  a  long  and  useful  life  ? 

23.  To  what  three  things  does  President  Eliot  attribute  his 
strength  and  long  life  ? 


276 


MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 


REMEMBER 

That  which  upbuilds  the  body  and  increases  efficiency 


Exercise 


Pure  air 


Good  food 


Pure  water 
Cheer 

Natural  defend 


Liver 


Body  glands 


Digest 


White  bl 
Respira 

That  which  tears  down 


Rest  and  sleep 


Sunlight 


Good  health  habits 


Purposeful  work 
:ulness 


rs  of  the  body 


cells 


ve  fluids 


ood  cells 
tory  tract 

and  injures  the  body 


CHAPTER  XV 
"SAFETY  FIRST" 

ON  street  cars  and  in  other  places  one  sometimes  sees 
a  big  red  dot  with  the  words,  "Safety  First."  The 
purpose  for  this  slogan  is  protection  against  accident. 
It  is  placed  at  especially  dangerous  places  as  a  warning 
against  accidents.  Safety  first  means,  "look  out  for 
danger,"  "  be  careful,"  -  careful  to  keep  one's  self  out 
of  harm's  way  and  careful  that  no  harm  shall  result 
to  others,  through  carelessness.  This  simple  warning 
has  been  the  means  of  saving  many  from  death  and 
accident. 

We  are  constantly  surrounded  by  invisible  foes  to 
life  and  health.  A  soldier  on  the  battlefield  is  liable 
at  any  time  to  be  hit  by  a  bullet  or  a  bursting  shell 
and  to  be  fatally  wounded.  Bullets  fly  so  swiftly  the 
soldier  can  not  see  them,  but  he  can  hear  them  whistle 
through  the  air  and  perhaps  can  see  the  smoke  of  the 
gun  which  fired  them.  Enemies  of  life  quite  as  dan- 
gerous as  bullets  are  constantly  flying  about  us.  They 
attack  us  on  every  hand  ;  we  can  never  wholly  escape 
them,  so  we  must  know  how  to  avoid  them  as  much  as 
possible  and  how  to  defend  ourselves  against  them. 

Let  us  consider  some  of  the  ways  in  which  we  may  be 

277 


278  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

attacked  by  the  germs  which  cause  disease  and  the 
best  means  of  applying  the  principles  of  "safety  first" 
in  case  of  those  diseases  generally  known  as  "  communi- 
cable" or  "catching."  In  each  case  the  real  cause  of 
the  illness  is  a  germ  or  microoganism  peculiar  to  the 
disease  itself,  which  in  various  ways  is  passed  around. 

It  is  most  important  to  avoid  disease.  Not  only  are 
germ  diseases  a  danger  in  themselves,  but  they  break 
down  vital  resistance  and  thus  open  the  gates  for  other 
serious  maladies  to  get  in.  Influenza  is  often  followed 
by  pneumonia  or  tuberculosis,  measles  by  impairment 
of  sight  and  hearing,  typhoid  by  tuberculosis,  and  diph- 
theria by  paralysis  and  heart  troubles. 

Most  of  these  diseases  are  spread  by  actual  contact 
with  the  sick  or  by  contact  with  the  things  the  sick  have 
used,  thus  providing  a  carriage  of  the  germs  that  cause 
the  disease  into  the  mouth  or  nose  of  the  well  person. 

It  would  be  easier  to  avoid  contagion  if  one  always 
knew  just  where  it  would  meet  him.  As  this  is  not 
possible,  it  is  important  to  be  on  guard  at  every  point 
where  it  is  to  be  expected. 

Every  child  can  apply  the  following  "Safety  First" 
rules : 

(i)  Keep  the  hands  clean.  Wash  them  very  often. 
"Safet  Cleanliness  of  the  hands  is  one  very  impor- 
First"  tant  protection  against  diseases  that  can  be 
rules  for  communicated  from  one  person  to  another. 
In  certain  French  and  English  hospitals  tests 
were  made.  .Persons  ill  with  different  communicable 


"SAFETY  FIRST'  279 

diseases  were  cared  for  in  the  same  wards  with  persons 
who  did  not  have  the  disease,  the  greatest  precaution 
being  taken  by  every  one  caring  for  the  sick  to  wash  the 
hands  after  touching  any  patient,  and  allowing  no  object 
which  had  touched  the  sick  one  to  touch  another  until 
it  had  been  cleansed.  There  was  no  spread  of  diseases 
in  any  case  where  this  rule  was  strictly  observed. 

For  one  thing  this  proved  that  cleanliness  of  the 
hands  is  one  of  the  greatest  safeguards  against  com- 
municable disease.  It  is  very  probable  that  dirty 
hands  cause  more  disease  than  any  other  agent. 

The  man  who  milks  with  dirty  hands,  the  cook  who 
does  not  cleanse  her  hands  thoroughly  before  touching 
the  meal,  may  each  be  the  cause  of  disease  to  those  who 
partake  of  the  food.  Many  babies  get  the  germs  of 
dysentery  and  diarrhea  from  the  unclean  hands  of 
those  who  care  for  them. 

The  germs  which  cause  tuberculosis  are  found  on  the 
hands  of  most  persons  suffering  with  that  disease  who 
have  not  trained  themselves  to  the  utmost  carefulness 
in  keeping  the  hands  clean.  The  germs  of  other  com- 
municable diseases  likewise  pass  from  the  mouth  to  the 
hands  and  are  readily  conveyed  from  one  to  another  in 
numberless  ways.  Name  as  many  such  as  you  can. 

It  is  to  be  hoped  that  at  your  school  you  have  soap 
fountains  and  running  water  to  aid  you  in  keeping 
clean  hands.  You  will  of  course  bring  your  own  towel 
and  nail  brush  and  soap  if  none  is  supplied.  Remem- 
ber, also,  to  avoid  putting  the  fingers  in  the  mouth. 


28o  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

(2)  "Put  nothing  into  the  mouth  except  food"     You 
have  already  learned  many  reasons  why  this  is  so  im- 
portant.-   It  is  an  unsafe  habit  to  use  the  mouth  to 
hold  coin,  pins,  pencils,  tickets,  and  the  dozen  other 
similar  things  which  people  put  there  to  retain  just  a 
moment.     One  runs  the  risk  of  getting  some  deadly 
disease  each  time  it  is  done.     The  germs  of  every  sort 
of  communicable  disease  are  easily  carried  on  these 
articles  that  frequently  pass  from  hand  to  hand. 

(3)  Keep  the  teeth  clean  and  free  from  decay.     Teeth 
in  good  condition  are  a  great  safeguard  against  danger- 
ous disease.     An  institution  in  an  Eastern  city  which 
cares  for  three  hundred  orphan  children  had  each  year, 
for  a  considerable  period,  some  seventy  or  eighty  cases 
of  communicable  disease.     A  dental  clinic  was  estab- 
lished and  thereafter  for  three  years  the  rate  was  only 
three  cases  per  year. 

(4)  Keep  entirely  away  from  persons  having  a  disease 
of  communicable   character.     Run   no  risks.     Children 
ought  not  purposely  to  expose  themselves  to  disease. 
The  idea  many  people  have  that  it  is  the  lot  of  every 
child,  sooner  or  later,  to  have  measles,  scarlet  fever, 
chicken  pox,  and  whooping  cough,  and  that  it  is  well 
to  "have  it  over  with"  is  a  mistaken  one.     Children 
should  be  most  carefully  protected  from  these  diseases 
in  their  early  years.     Bad  enough  at  any  period  of 
life,  they  are  far  more  fatal  to  children  under  ten  years 
of  age. 

(5)  Beware  of  any  one  who  has  a  sore  throat.     Sore 


"SAFETY  FIRST"  281 

throat  is  a  common  symptom  of  diphtheria,  septic 
sore  throat,  scarlet  fever,  measles,  and  whooping  cough. 
One  may  have  sore  throat  and  yet  have  none  of  these 
diseases,  but  precaution  is  always  wisest.  It  is  danger- 
ous to  kiss  a  person  with  a  sore  throat,  to  drink  from 
the  same  cup,  to  use  the  same  napkin  or  spoon,  take  a 
bite  from  his  apple  or  candy,  or  put  his  pencil  in  your 
mouth,  or  to  handle  his  books  or  toys. 

(6)  Court   cleanliness   in   all   things.     If  one   would 
escape  the  typhoid  germs,  he  must  drink  only  water 
that  is  pure  and  clean.     If  there  is  any  doubt  about  the 
water,  boil  it.     Use  none  but  clean  milk.     Certified 
milk   is   safest.     Tuberculosis,    typhoid    fever,    scarlet 
fever,  measles,  diphtheria,  meningitis,  dysentery,  small- 
pox may  each  be  conveyed  by  dirty  milk.     Lacking 
surety  about  the  milk  supply,  it  is  wisest  to  boil  or 
pasteurize  it.     Cleanse  raw  foods  thoroughly  before 
eating.     Keep    all   foods    away   from   dust    and   flies. 
Flies   carry  typhoid,  tuberculosis,   and   other   disease 
germs   both   inside   their   bodies    and    on    their    feet. 
Flies  are  dangerous  and  should  be  destroyed  together 
with    mosquitoes,   cockroaches,   and    other    household 
pests. 

Keep  the  premises  clean  and  the  house  and  school- 
house  free  from  dust.  Dirt  does  not  produce  disease 
germs,  but  it  harbors  them.  Pneumonia,  tuberculosis, 
and  influenza  germs  are  commonly  found  in  dust. 

(7)  Breathe  pure  air.    Get  it  out  of  doors  just  as  much 
as  you  can.     Work,  study,  play,  and  sleep  in  the  open 


282  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

air.  Make  ample  provision  for  fresh  air  indoors,  by 
opening  the  windows.  Breathe  through  the  nose  and 
not  through  the  mouth. 

(8)  Dwell   in    the   light.     Sunlight    destroys    disease 
germs.     It  aids  all  the  vital  functions.     Keep  in  the 
sunlight  as  much  as  possible,  especially  in  the  winter 
season. 

(9)  Do  everything  you  can  to  build  up  a  strong  body 
and  vigorous  health.     This  will  aid  you  most  of  all  to 
withstand  the  germs  that  cause  disease. 

(10)  In  case  the  indications  of  illness  do  not  disappear 
quickly,  the  parents  and  the  family  physician  should  be 
consulted. 

When  it  is  known  that  a  communicable  disease 
exists,  we  can  take  pains  to  protect  ourselves  from  it, 
General  but  the  danger  from  the  sick  we  never  see  is 
directions,  often  far  greater.  The  baker  who  makes  our 
bread  or  some  person  who  handles  it,  if  sick  or 
dwelling  with  the  sick,  may,  if  careless,  be  the  agent 
through  which  disease  is  brought  to  us.  Many  people 
are  ignorant  of  the  dangers  from  communicable  dis- 
ease ;  many  others,  although  knowing,  are  not  pains- 
taking. So  it  may  happen  that  the  welfare  of  every 
citizen  is  threatened  each  time  a  case  of  such  a  disease 
occurs  in  a  town.  Because  they  recognize  that  health 
is  the  right  of  every  individual  and  the  need  of  pro- 
tecting their  citizens,  many  communities  maintain  a 
Health  Department  or  a  health  officer  to  aid  in  con- 
trolling the  common  ways  by  which  disease  is  spread. 


"SAFETY  FIRST"  283 

Such  a  measure  stands  for  the  welfare  of  every  citizen 
and  should  have  his  support  and  cooperation. 

When  a  case  of  illness  is  suspected  of  being  of  a 
communicable  character,  it  is  the  work  of  the  health 
department  or  officer  to  investigate  it.  If  it  be  found 
to  be  a  case  of  dangerous  disease,  the  sick  person  must 
be  separated  from  those  who  are  well,  and  kept  apart 
until  he  will  not  communicate  the  germ  of  the  disease 
to  others.  The  length  of  this  time  depends  upon  the 
patient's  condition  and  not  upon  any  set  rules  ;  for 
example : 

The  only  way  to  know  whether  a  case  of  sore  throat 
is  really  diphtheria  is  to  find  the  diphtheria  germ  in  a 
culture  taken  from  the  patient's  throat.  The  only 
certain  way  to  tell  that  the  person  has  recovered  so 
that  he  will  not  infect  others  is  by  an  examination  of 
specimens  from  his  throat  on  two  different  days  show- 
ing that  there  are  no  longer  diphtheria  germs  there. 
The  patient  may  feel  well  long  before  this,  and  still  the 
germs  may  be  present  and  may  be  communicated  to 
other  people.  The  well-informed  health  officer  can 
best  determine  just  when,  in  case  of  any  catching  dis- 
ease, the  patient  may  be  safely  released  from  quaran- 
tine. It  is  part  of  his  work  to  do  this  and  to  see  that 
the  patient's  home  and  belongings  are  properly  disin- 
fected after  the  illness.  This  is  most  important,  as  the 
germs  which  cause  some  communicable  diseases  keep 
alive  for  a  long  time,  even  years,  in  some  instances.  A 
schoolroom,  railway  coach,  and  other  public  places  in 


284  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

which  germs  of  contagious  diseases  have  been  scat- 
tered are  unsafe  until  they  have  been  disinfected. 

The  law  in  most  places  demands  that  immediate 
notice  of  every  case  of  communicable  disease  be 
given  to  the  health  officer.  It  is  then  his  duty  to  place 
a  card  upon  the  dwelling  warning  the  public.  The 
people  in  a  house  so  marked  are  placed  under  what  is 
called  quarantine.  Until  this  quarantine  is  lifted,  they 
are  not  permitted  to  leave  the  house,  or  the  place  under 
quarantine.  This  is  a  safety  measure  in  which  every 
one  should  be  willing  to  cooperate. 

Persons  known  to  have  been  exposed  to  communi- 
cable disease  ought,  for  the  sake  of  other  people's  safety, 
to  keep  away  from  school,  the  playground,  church,  and  all 
public  places  until  all  danger  of  having  the  disease  is  past. 

When  a  case  of  communicable  disease  occurs  it  is 
well  for  us  to  know  that  for  the  safety  of  both  the  sick 
one  and  those  who  care  for  him,  the  sick  room  should 
be  cleared  of  all  needless  articles,  clothing,  bric-a-brac, 
and  everything  likely  to  harbor  germs.  Provision 
should  be  made  for  an  abundance  of  fresh  air.  Pets 
should  never  be  allowed  to  visit  the  sick  room.  Food 
and  drink  that  are  left  over  from  the  sick  room  should 
always  be  disinfected  or  burned  —  never  put  into  the 
garbage  can.  Eating  utensils,  playthings,  soiled  cloth- 
ing, bedding,  in  fact  everything  that  is  used  in  the  sick 
room,  must  be  disinfected  thoroughly  before  being  taken  from 
the  room.  In  particular  the  discharge  from  the  nose, 
mouth,  eyes,  ears,  throat,  and  lungs  should  be  received 


"SAFETY  FIRST'3  285 

on  old  cloths  or  paper  napkins  and  immediately  burned, 
and  all  other  discharges  from  the  body  should  be  at 
once  disinfected. 

In  both  pneumonia  and  tuberculosis  the  sputa  (all 
discharges  from  the  lungs,  throat,  nose,  and  mouth) 
contain  the  germs  by  which  these  maladies  are  usually 
spread.  It  will  be  plain,  then,  why  this  dangerous 
matter  should  be  destroyed.  During  an  illness  of 
penumonia  or  tuberculosis  great  care  should  be  taken 
to  prevent  the  soiling  of  bedding,  clothing,  and  carpets 
with  sputa.  The  patient  should  cough  into  a  moistened 
cloth  which  should  be  burned  before  it  becomes  dry. 
This  precaution  should  be  continued  even  after  the 
pneumonia  patient  is  able  to  be  about,  just  so  long  as 
anything  is  raised  from  lungs  and  throat. 

Tuberculosis  is  doubtless  the  most  common  of  all 
these  dread  diseases,  but  fortunately  it  is  one  of  the 
most  easily  cured  in  its  early  stages.  Many  people 
know  very  little  about  this  disease  and  contract  it 
because  they  are  not  aware  of  the  ways  in  which  it  can 
be  prevented.  From  a  State  Board  of  Health  we  get  the 
following  rules  which  every  person  will  be  wise  to  learn : 

The  person  infected  with  tuberculosis  should  protect 
himself,  his  family,  his  associates,  and  the  public  by 
not  spitting  in  public  places,  and  by  promptly  Rules  of 
destroying  all  discharges.  health  in 

Flies    carry   sputum    and   its   infection   to  tuber' 

r        i  11  r  11  i        culosis. 

rood,  to  your  hands,  your  race,  clothes,  the 

baby's  bottle,  from  which  the  germs  are  taken  into 


286  MAKING  THE  MOST  OF  LIFE 

the  mouth  and  thus  gain  access  to  the  stomach  and 
lungs. 

Spitting  on  the  sidewalk,  on  the  floor,  on  the  wall,  on 
the  grass,  in  the  gutter,  or  even  into  a  cuspidor  con- 
taining no  disinfectant  is  a  very  dangerous  practice  for 
a  consumptive  to  indulge  in. 

The  well  person  should  defend  himself  by  insisting 
that  the  tuberculous  patient  shall  destroy  all  discharges. 

Well  persons  should  set  the  example  of  restraint  and 
themselves  refrain  from  spitting  promiscuously. 

A  person  may  appear  quite  healthy,  and  yet  be  de- 
veloping tuberculosis  without  knowing  it. 

Such  a  person,  if  he  spit  where  he  pleases,  may  be 
depositing  infected  sputum  where  it  can  endanger  the 
health  and  lives  of  other  persons. 

Do  not  sleep  with  a  person  who  has  tuberculosis,  nor 
in  the  room  occupied  by  a  tuberculous  person,  until 
that  room  has  been  thoroughly  disinfected. 

Any  person  is  liable  to  contract  tuberculosis,  whether 
he  is  well  or  not. 

Sickly  persons,  or  those  having  bad  colds,  influenza, 
bronchitis,  pneumonia,  or  any  general  weakness  are 
much  more  liable  to  contract  tuberculosis  than  a  per- 
fectly well  or  robust  person. 

If  you  have  a  cough  that  hangs  on,  consult  at  once  a 
reliable  physician  who  has  ability  to  diagnose  tuber- 
culosis. 

Prevention  is  possible ;  it  is  cheaper  and  easier  than 
cure. 


"SAFETY  FIRST'3  287 

We  have  seen  how  we  are  in  danger  of  contagion  from 
persons  who  are  sick ;  from  articles  they  have  used ; 
places  they  have  been  in,  and  careless  people  who  may 
have  cared  for  them  or  visited  their  sick  room.  There 
are  also  many  persons  who  do  not  feel  at  all  sick  them- 
selves who  have  the  germs  of  diphtheria  and  typhoid 
in  their  bodies  and  may  convey  them  to  others.  These 
persons  are  termed  carriers.  One  such  who  carries 
diphtheria  germs  going  to  a  school  may  give  the  germs 
to  every  pupil  in  the  room.  Not  long  ago  an  epidemic 
of  diphtheria  broke  out  in  a  little  town  of  six  thousand 
people.  Upon  investigation  as  to  the  cause  there  were 
found  four  hundred  individuals  who  were  carriers  of 
the  disease  none  of  whom  felt  ill  or  even  suspected  they 
had  the  germs. 

It  is  often  remarked  that  epidemics  of  diphtheria, 
measles,  whooping  cough,  and  other  communicable 
diseases  more  commonly  occur  at  the  beginning  of  the 
school  year  or  directly  after  vacation  than  at  any  other 
time.  Do  you  not  think  that  if  every  school  had  a 
health  officer  or  inspector  to  examine  the  pupils  upon 
entrance,  make  tests  for  carriers,  examine  and  care  for 
the  teeth,  and  give  attention  to  other  health  measures, 
it  would  be  an  excellent  and  wise  plan  ? 


GLOSSARY 

KEY  TO  PRONUNCIATION 

a,  as  in  ale;  a,  as  in  sen'ate;  a,  as  in  care;  &,  as  in  ftm;  a,  as  in  arm;  a,  as 
in  ask;  a,  as  in  h'nal;  e,  as  in  eve;  e,  as  in  e-vent';  6,  as  in  6nd;  e,  as  in  fern; 
f,  as  in  re'c<?nt;  I,  as  in  ice;  i,  as  in  i-de'a;  i,  as  in  111;  o,  as  in  old;  6,  as  in 
6-bey';  6,  as  in  6rb;  o,  as  in  odd;  u,  as  in  use;  u,  as  in  u-nite';  fl,  as  in  Op; 
u,  as  in  urn;  y,  as  in  pit'y;  oo,  as  in  food;  do,  as  in  foot;  on,  as  in  out;  oi,  as 
in  oil. 


abstinence  (ab'sti-n<fns).  The  act,  or  practice,  of  denying  one's  self,  par- 
ticularly as  applied  to  drinking  alcoholic  beverages  and  to  smoking. 

acetanilid  (as'et-an'i-lid  or  lid).  A  medicinal  compound  of  aniline  with 
acetyl,  used  to  relieve  fever  or  pain,  but  dangerous  when  used  with- 
out a  physician's  order. 

anaemia  (a-ne'mi-a).  An  unhealthy  condition  of  the  blood,  in  which  there 
is  too  little  blood  in  the  body  or  in  which  the  blood  itself  is  lacking  in 
some  essential  quality. 

antipyrin  (an'ti-pi'rin).  A  medicine  containing  an  alkaloid,  used  to 
relieve  fever. 

antiseptic  (an'ti-sep'tic).  Anything,  usually  a  liquid,  that  prevents  decay 
or  that  protects  one  from  germs. 

aorta  (a-6r'ta).  The  great  artery  which  carries  the  blood  from  the  heart 
to  all  parts  of  the  body  except  to  the  lungs ;  the  main  trunk  of  the 
arterial  system. 

arterioles  (ar-te'ri-olz).     Very  small  arteries. 

arterio-sclerosis  (ar-te'ri-o  skle-rp'sis).  The  hardening  of  the  arteries,  due 
usually  to  bad  habits  of  living  in  respect  to  eating,  drinking,  and 
smoking. 

B 

bacillus  (ba-sil'us).     A  tiny  vegetable  organism  often  the  cause  of  disease; 

often  spoken  of  as  bacteria, 
bile  (bil).      A   yellow,  or  greenish,  fluid  manufactured  by  the  liver  and 

necessary  for  the  digestion  of  fats. 
bismuth    (biz'muth).     A   substance   sometimes   used   in   experiments   of 

tracing  the  passage  of  food  along  the  alimentary  canal. 

289 


29o  GLOSSARY 


caffeine  (kaf-fen'}.     A  white,  bitter  substance  in  coffee;    a  poison, 
calorie  (kal'6-ri).     A  unit  of  heat.     Just  as  in  measuring  a  straight  line,  we 

begin  with  the  inch,  so  in  measuring  heat,  we  begin  with  the  calorie, 
calorimeter  (kaT6-rim'e-ter).     Art  apparatus   for  measuring  the  number 

of  calories  of  heat  in  anything, 
cartilage  (kar'ti-laj).     An  elastic  tissue,  through  which  the  light  passes 

but  through  which  objects  can  not  be  seen ;   gristle, 
cellulose  (seTu-los).     An  indigestible  substance  found  in  most  fruits  and 

especially  in  vegetables. 

centenarian  (sen'te-na'ri-an).     A  person  one  hundred  years  old  or  more, 
centigrade  (sen'ti-grad).     Consisting  of  one  hundred  degrees  —  used  to 

describe  a  thermometer  on  which  the  freezing  point  of  water  is  o° 

and  the  boiling  point  is  100°. 
cerebrum  (ser'e-brum).     The  large  division  of  the  brain.     It  controls  the 

reason  and  the  will. 

chronic  (kron'ik).     Continuing  for  a  long  time;   lingering;   habitual, 
circular  muscles  (ser'ku-lar  muscles).     The  muscles   that  go  around  an 

organ  or  an  opening. 

cocaine  (ko'ka-m).     A  substance  used  to  deaden  pain;   a  poison, 
coma  (ko'ma).     A  state  of  unconsciousness  from  which  it  is  difficult  or 

impossible  to  arouse  a  person, 
convolutions  (kon'vo-lu'shunz).     Irregular,  wave-like  foldings  of  an  organ ; 

as,  the  convolutions  of  the  intestines  and  of  the  brain, 
corpulence  (kor'pu-kns).     Excessive  amount  of  fat,  fleshiness, 
cortex  (kor'teks).     An  outer  covering,  as  the  cortex  of  the  brain  com- 
posed of  the  outer  layers  of  nerve  cells. 

D 

dietary  (di'et-a-ry ) .     Rules  of  diet;    that  is,  of  the  amount  and  kind  of 

food  to  eat. 
dynamometer  (di'na-mom'e-ter  or  dm'a).     An  apparatus  for    measuring 

force  or  power,  used  to  test  the  power  of  the  muscles. 


endurance  (en-dur'ans).     The  quality  of  being  able  to  keep  up  an  exertion 

or  to  bear  pain,  for  a  considerable  length  of  time, 
ergograph   (er'go-graf).     An   instrument   for   registering    the   amount  of 

work  performed  by  a  contracting  muscle  up  to  the  point  of  fatigue, 
excrete  (eks-kret/).     To  cast  off  from  the  body  as  useless. 
extensors  (eks-ten'sorz).     Muscles  that  serve  to  extend  or  straighten  any 

part  of  the  body,  as  an  arm  or  a  finger ;  —  opposed  to  flexors,  which 

bend  or  contract  muscles. 


GLOSSARY  291 


fatty  degeneration  (fat'ty  de-jen'er-a'shun).     A  diseased  condition,  in  which 

the  presence  of  too  much  fat  interferes  with  the  working  of  the  organs, 
fermentation  (fer'men-ta'shun).     The  change  in  a  substance  to  a  bubbling 

state,  or  state  where  the  presence  of  gas  causes  the  substance  to  be  in 

motion.     A  change  in  a  substance  due  to  the  action    of  bacteria. 

Usually  gas  is  formed,  and  also  alcohol  in  greater  or  less  quantities, 
fibroid    degeneration    (fibroid   di-jen'er-a'shun).     A    form   of  decline  in 

which  organs  or  tissues  are  changed  into  tissue  made  up  of  fibers, 
fissures  (fish'urz).     The  furrows  or  depressions  in  the  surface  of  the  brain, 
flexors   (fleks'orz).      Muscles  which   bend   (flex)  any  part;  —  opposed  to 

extensors. 
frontal  lobes  (fron'tal  lobz).     The  round  projecting  parts  of  the  brain  in 

front  of  the  inside  of  the  skull. 

G 

glycogen  (gli'ko-jen).     A  substance  like  starch;   "animal  starch." 

H 

hemoglobin   (hem'6-glo'bin   or  he'mo-glo-bin).     The   coloring   matter  of 
the  red  blood  corpuscles. 

I 

incapacitated  (in'ka-pas'i-tat-ed).     Deprived  of  natural  power;   disabled, 
infection   (in-fek'shun).     Disease  caused   by  germs;    also  the  giving  of 

disease  germs  to  a  well  person  by  a  diseased  one. 
insomnia  (m-som'ni-a).     Inability  to  sleep;  wakefulness;  sleeplessness. 

J 

Jiu  Jitsu  (ju'jitY).     A  Japanese  system  of  training  for  physical  contests 
like  wrestling. 

K 

kilogram  (kil'6-gram).     A  measure  of  weight  in  the  metric  system,  equal 
to  about  two  and  one  fifth  pounds  in  our  system. 


longitudinal  muscles  (lon'ji-tu'di-nfll  mus"les) .   Muscles  that  extend  length- 
wise with  the  organ  which  they  govern. 

M 

massage  (mas'saj ;  F.  ma'sazh').     A  rubbing  of  the  body,  done  especially 
as  a  hygienic  or  remedial  measure. 


292  GLOSSARY 

medulla  oblongata  (me-dul'la  ob'lon-ga'ta).  The  back  part  of  the  brain 
connected  with  the  spinal  cord. 

metabolism  (me-tab'6-liz'm).  The  process  by  which  living  tissues  take 
up  and  change  the  material  that  the  blood  brings  them  for  nourish- 
ment or  by  which  they  change  their  own  substance  into  matter  that 
can.be  thrown  out  of  the  body. 

micron  (mik'ron  or  mi'kron).  A  measure  of  length  in  the  metric  system; 
about  one  twenty-five  thousandth  part  of  an  inch  in  our  system. 

morphine  (mor'-fin  or  fen).  A  drug,  opium,  which  deadens  pain  and  puts 
a  person  to  sleep,  but  which  is  dangerous. 

N 

nicotine  (mk'6-tin  or  -ten).     An  element  found  in  tobacco.     It  is  very 

poisonous, 
nitrogen  (m'tro-jen).     A  cherm'cal  which  may  be  in  the  form  of  gas  in  the 

air,  or  in  the  form  of  liquid. 


occipital  lobes  (ok-sip'I-tal  lobz).     The  round  projecting  parts  of  the  brain 

at  the  back  of  the  inside  of  the  skull. 
opium  (6'pi-um).     The  juice  of  the  poppy  plant.     The  Chinese  used  to 

smoke  it. 
opsonic  index  (6p-son'ik  m'dex).     A  statement  of  the  condition  of  one's 

blood  in  respect  to  its  power  to  destroy  a  particular  disease  germ,  as 

the  tuberculosis  germ. 

P 

parasite  (par'a-sit).  A  plant  or  animal  that  lives  on  another,  drawing 
the  juices  or  nourishment  of  the  other  and  doing  no  independent  work. 

parietal  lobes  (pa-ri'e-tfll  lobz).  The  round  projecting  parts  of  the  brain 
at  the  sides  of  the  skull. 

pelvis  (pel'vis).  That  part  of  the  body  below  the  stomach,  which  con- 
tains the  pelvic  bones. 

pestilence  (pes'ti-l<?ns).  The  plague,  or  any  terrible  fatal  disease  that 
spreads  easily,  rapidly,  and  widely. 

phenacetin  (fe-nas'e-tin).  A  substance  used  in  medicine  to  relieve  fever 
but  dangerous  if  used  without  a  physician's  order. 

physique  (fi-zek').  The  physical  build  or  structure  of  a  person;  physical 
appearance. 

plague  (plag).  An  acute  contagious  fever,  incurable  and  terrible  in  its 
attacks ;  any  disease  that  destroys  many  people  in  a  short  space  of  time. 

plethysmograph  (pleth'is-mo-graf)-  An  instrument  for  determining  and 
registering  the  variations  in  the  amount  of  blood  in  an  organ  or  mem- 
ber of  the  body,  as  the  arm. 


GLOSSARY  293 

plumb  line  (plum  lin).  A  straight  line  between  two  points,  as  between 
the  forehead  and  the  floor. 

proteid  (pro'te-id).  One  of  the  elements  present  in  greater  or  less  degree 
in  nearly  all  plants  and  to  a  large  degree  in  animal  tissues  and  organs. 

ptomaines  (to'ma-inz  or  en).  A  class  of  substances  that  grow  in  dead 
matter;  poisons. 

pulmonary  circulation  (pul'mo-na'ry  seVku-la'shun).  The  system  of  cir- 
culation in  the  body  that  goes  through  the  heart  and  the  lungs. 

pulse  (puls).  The  beating  of  the  heart  or  blood  vessels,  especially  of  the 
arteries  at  the  wrist  and  in  the  temple. 

putrefaction  (pu'tre-fak'shun).     The  act  of  rotting,  of  decaying. 


secrete  (se-kreY).  To  extract  from  the  blood  and  make  into  a  new  sub- 
stance, as  the  salivary  glands  secrete  saliva. 

sedentary  (sed'en-ta-ry).  Accustomed  to  sit  much  or  long  without  exer- 
cise, or  requiring  much  or  long  sitting. 

sphygmomanometer  (sfig'mo-ma-nom'e-ter).  An  instrument  for  meas- 
uring pressure  of  blood  in  an  artery. 

sphygmograph  (sfig'mo-graf).  An  instrument  by  which  the  pulse  may  be 
made  to  write  a  record  of  its  own  action. 

spirometer  (spi-rom'e-ter) .  An  instrument  for  measuring  the  vital 
capacity  of  the  lungs ;  that  is,  the  volume  of  air  which  can  be  expelled 
from  the  chest  after  the  deepest  possible  taking  in  of  breath. 

sputum  (spu'tum).     Saliva;   what  is  expectorated;  spittle. 

sternum  (ster'num).     The  breast-bone. 

symmetry  (sim'me-try).  Correct  proportion  or  balance  of  the  parts  of 
the  body. 


tannin  (tan'nm).     A  harmful  acid  in  tea. 

temporal  lobes  (tem'po-rfll  lobz).     The  round  projecting  parts  of  the  brain 

at  both  sides  of  the  skull. 

theine  (the'm  or  -en).     A  poison  found  in  tea  and  coffee, 
toxin  (toks'm).     A  poison,  referring  often  to  the  poisons  developed  within 

the  body. 

V 

vasomotor  center  (vas'6-mo'ter  sen'ter).  A  nerve  center  concerned  with 
the  regulation  of  the  distribution  of  the  blood,  by  acting  on  the  mus- 
cular coats  of  the  blood  vessels. 

vertebrae  (ver'te-bre);  (Plural  of  vertebra).  The  small  bones  that  make 
up  the  backbone. 


INDEX 


Alcohol,  effect  of,  on  nerves  and 
mind.  148-164;  lessening  cour- 
age, ambition,  and  working 
power,  148-151;  affects  judg- 
ment, 151-152;  some  conclusive 
experiments,  152-155;  people 
who  use  alcohol  not  wanted  in 
business,  155-156;  effects  of,  on 
marksmanship,  156—159;  loss  of 
time  through  sickness,  159;  the 
total  abstainer  versus  the  drinker, 
162. 

Arteries,  use  of,  in  circulation,  23- 
24;  hardened  arteries,  25. 

Attention,  and  interest,  136-139. 


Auto-intoxication,    1 88-1 89 ; 
causes  of,  190-194. 


chief 


Body-filters  for  destroying  poisons, 
183-201;  the  liver,  a  wonderful 
and  mysterious  organ,  185-186; 
the  kidneys,  187;  auto-intoxica- 
tion, 188-189;  use  °f  sour  mnk 
to  kill  harmful  germs,  189 ;  chief 
cause  of  self-poisoning,  190-194; 
things  that  encourage  intestinal 
activity,  196;  fasting  not  a  good 
remedy,  198-199. 

Brain,  chief  organ  of  the  body,  121- 
I35>  "centers"  in  the  brain, 
123-125;  seat  of  the  mental 
faculties,  125;  testing  action 
and  reaction,  126-128.;  forming 
habits,  128-129;  influence  of  the 


mind  on  the  muscles,  129-130; 
effects  of  nerve  fatigue  on  the 
muscles,  130;  effects  of  muscu- 
lar fatigue  on  the  brain,  131- 
134;  the  mental  faculties,  136- 
147;  attention  and  interest, 
136-139;  mental  activity  a  safe- 
guard, 139-140;  effect  of  think- 
ing on  the  brain,  140-141  ;  good 
nerves  and  a  sound  brain  depend 
upon  good  blood,  141-142; 
effects  of  emotions  on  the  body, 
142-144;  emotions  that  weaken 
the  body  and  the  mind,  144-146. 

Clinkers,  in  the  body,  100-102. 
Cocaine,  a  poisonous  drug,  178. 
Coffee,  harmful  effects  of,  172. 
Cornaro,  the  story  of  his  long  life, 
259-262. 

Diamond,  Captain,  the  story  of  his 

long  life,  269-274. 
Diet,  the  ideal,  97-98. 
Digestion,  time  table  of,  in  regard 

to  various  foods,  194. 
Dynamometer,  testing  muscles  with, 

14. 

Efficiency,     meaning     of,     39-40; 
health    the    greatest    factor 
40-41  ;  exercise  for,  63-94  > 
and  efficiency,  97-120. 

Emotions,   effect  of  on   the   body, 


n, 


295 


296 


INDEX 


142-144;  that  weaken  the  body 
and  the  mind,  144-146. 

Ericsson,  Captain  John,  an  example 
of  right  living,  57. 

Excretion,  organs  of,  183-210.  See 
Body  filter sy  Liver,  Kidneys. 

Exercise,  benefits  of,  63-94;  ruling 
peoples  always  develop  the  body, 
63-65;  Olympic  games,  65-66; 
effects  of  exercise  on  the  muscles, 
66-67;  keeping  the  muscles 
strong  and  flexible,  67-68; 
effects  of  on  the  joints  and  liga- 
ments, 68-70 ;  keeping  the  spine 
flexible,  70-71 ;  general  benefits 
of  exercise,  71—73  ;  exercise  and 
a  good  appetite,  73  ;  how  muscle 
training  benefits  the  nerves,  74- 
75 ;  best  forms  of  exercise,  80 ; 
estimating  amount  of  work  done 
in,  83 ;  taking  exercise  in  one's 
room,  85  ;  best  time  to  exercise, 
87-88;  corrective  exercises,  92- 
94- 

Food  and  efficiency,  97-120;  the 
ideal  diet,  97-98 ;  the  building 
material  of  the  body,  98-100; 
clinkers  in  the  body,  100-102; 
a  peculiar  trait  of  proteid,  102- 
103 ;  amount  of  food  needed, 
103-104;  economy  in  nutrition, 
104;  experiments  in  low-proteid 
diet,  105 ;  relieving  organs  of 
unnecessary  labor,  107 ;  selec- 
tion of  food,  107;  composition 
of  cereals,  108;  composition  of 
meats,  109;  natural  foods,  in; 
accidental  discoveries  regarding 
foods,  112-114;  irritating  the 


stomach,  114-116;  need  for  un- 
cooked food,  116-117;  so-called 
"brain  foods,"  117-118. 

Germ  plagues,  218-250;  minute 
forms  of  life,  218-220;  work  of 
microbes,  220;  microbes  a  cause 
of  disease,  221 ;  germ  of  tuber- 
culosis, 223-249. 

Gladstone,  William  Ewart,  as  an 
example  of  right  living,  266-269. 

Habits,  128-129. 

Handicaps  in  the  race  of  life,  165- 
181;  tobacco,  166-172;  tea, 
172;  coffee,  172;  cocaine,  178; 
patent  medicines,  179;  head- 
ache remedies,  180;  soothing 
sirups,  1 80. 

Headache  remedies,  danger  of,  180. 

Heart,  work  of,  20-21 ;  measuring 
work  of,  21—22;  recording  blood 
pressure,  22;  work  of  the  arteries 
in  circulation,  23-24;  evil  of  too 
high  blood  pressure,  24-25 ; 
effect  of  hardened  arteries,  25. 

Height,  of  man,  1-3  ;  and  exercise, 
3—4;  good  poise  more  important 
than  stature,  5-6. 

Hookworm  cause  of  shiftlessness, 
45-47- 

Kidneys,  187. 

Life,  value  of  a,  45-62;  one  cause 
of  shiftlessness,  45;  economic 
value  of  health,  47-48;  com- 
mercial value  of  a  human  life, 
48-49;  minor  ailments  prevent 
perfect  health,  49-51;  the  duty 


INDEX 


297 


of  those  who  can  work,  51 ;  neces- 
sity of  increasing  length  of  the 
period  of  work,  51-52;  "ruling 
powers"  and  "servant  classes" 
in  the  body,  52-54;  brain  work 
and  muscular  work,  54-55  ;  keep- 
ing up  vital  resistance,  55-57; 
Ericsson  as  an  example  of  right 
living,  57-58;  Wesley  a  great 
worker,  58-60. 

Liver,  185-186. 

Living,  right,  251-276;  what  science 
has  accomplished,  252-254;  what 
remains  to  be  done,  254-255 ; 
true  measure  of  race  vigor,  255  ; 
some  examples  of  longevity,  257- 
276;  Luigi  Cornaro,  a  Venetian 
nobleman,  259-262 ;  Leo  Tol- 
stoy, a  Russian  count,  262-266; 
William  Ewart  Gladstone,  266- 
269;  Captain  Diamond,  athlete 
at  114  years  of  age,  269. 

Measure,  taking  the  measure  of  a 
man,  1-17;  height  of  man,  1-3  ; 
exercise  and  height,  3-4;  sym- 
metrical development,  4-5  ;  good, 
poise  more  important  than 
stature,  5-6;  the  beauty  of  the 
body,  6-8 ;  weight  of  the  body, 
8-12 ;  the  evil  of  too  much  flesh, 
12-13;  strength  of  man,  13; 
what  one's  strength  should  be, 

Mental  faculties,  136-147. 

Metabolism,  how  ^o  measure  rate 
of,  38-39. 

Metchnikoff,  Professor,  52. 

Muscles,  testing  muscles  with  dyna- 
mometer, 14;  effects  of  exercise 


on,  66-67;  keeping  strong  and 
flexible,  67-68;  muscle  training 
benefits  the  nerves,  74-75  ;  train- 
ing muscles  for  health  and  sym- 
metry, 77-78;  using  work  for 
muscle  training,  78;  best  forms 
of  exercise  for,  80-83  ;  estimat- 
ing the  amount  of  work  done  in 
exercise,  83  ;  taking  exercise  at 
home,  85-88 ;  how  fatigue  affects 
the  muscles,  88-90;  exercise  for 
symmetrical  development,  90 ; 
corrective  exercises,  92—94;  in- 
fluence of  mind  on,  129-130; 
effects  of  nerve  fatigue  on  the 
muscles,  130;  effects  of  muscu- 
lar fatigue  on  the  brain,  131-134. 

Nerves,  deceiving  the  nerves,  148- 
163. 

Olympic  games,  65-66. 

Patent  medicines,  danger  of,  179. 
Proteid,  a  peculiar  trait  of,  102-103. 

Sleep,  202-217;  necessary  for  body 
renewal,  202;  keeping  in  good 
repair,  202 ;  sleep  for  body  build- 

\  ing,  204;  changes  in  circulation 
during  sleep,  205-207;  dullness 
due  to  tiredness,  207;  things 
that  prevent  sleep,  208-211; 
bedlam  in  our  cities,  211-212', 
preventing  noise,  212;  effects  of 
drugs  on  sleep,  213-215. 

Soothing  sirups,  dangerous,  180. 

Sphygmograph,  21. 

Sphygmomanometer,  taking  blood 
pressure  by,  22. 


298 


INDEX 


Strength,  of  man,   13 ;    what  one's 
strength  should  be,  15-17. 

Tea,  harmful  effects  of,  172. 
Tobacco,  harmful  effects   of,    166- 

172. 
Tolstoy,  Leo,  as  an  example  of  right 

living,  262-266. 
Tuberculosis,    germ    of,     223-249; 

nature  of,  225-227;    extent  of, 

227-230;    how  spread,  230-232; 

killing      germs      of,      232-236; 

means  of  preventing,  236-248. 

Vital  machinery,  20-44;  work  of 
.  the  heart,  20-21 ;  measuring  work 
of  the  heart,  21-22;  recording 
blood  pressure,  22 ;  work  of  the 
arteries  in  circulation,  23-24; 
evil  of  too  high  blood  pressure, 
24-25 ;  effect  of  hardened 


arteries,  25 ;  vital  capacity,  26- 
28;  vital  resistance,  28-30; 
fighting  power  of  the  blood,  30- 
3 1 ;  measuring  the  amount  of 
food  required,  31-34;  energy 
expended  in  different  kinds  of 
work,  34-35;  varying  needs  of 
different  people,  35-37;  the  life 
functions,  37-38;  how  to  meas- 
ure the  rate  of  metabolism,  38- 
39;  the  meaning  of  human  effi- 
ciency, 39-40;  health  the 
greatest  factor  in  human  effi- 
ciency, 40-41. 

Weight,  of  the  body,  8-12;    evil  of 

too  much  flesh,  12—13. 
Wesley,    John,    as    an    example   of 

right  living,  58-60. 
Weston,    Edward     Payson,    as    an 

example  of  right  living,  81-83. 


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